2026 Ohio gubernatorial election
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| Elections in Ohio |
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The 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of Ohio. Incumbent Republican Governor Mike DeWine is term-limited and ineligible to seek a third consecutive term. The winner of the election will be inaugurated on January 11, 2027.[1]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Heather Hill, former president of the Morgan County School Board[2]
- Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General (2019–present) and former Ohio State Auditor (2011–2019)[3]
Filed paperwork
[edit]- Vivek Ramaswamy, former CEO of Roivant Sciences (2014–2023) and candidate for president in 2024 (announcement expected on February 24, 2025)[4]
Potential
[edit]- Mike Carey, U.S. representative from Ohio’s 15th congressional district (2021–present)[5]
- Warren Davidson, U.S. representative from Ohio’s 8th congressional district (2016–present)[5]
- Jim Tressel, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio (2025–present)[6]
Withdrawn
[edit]- Matt Mayer, former director of The Buckeye Institute[7]
- Robert Sprague, Ohio State Treasurer (2019–present) (endorsed Ramaswamy, running for secretary of state)[8]
- Jeremiah Workman, veterans affairs claims assistant and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022[9]
Declined
[edit]- Jon Husted, U.S. Senator (2025–present) and candidate for governor in 2018[10]
- Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State (2019–present) and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024 (running for state auditor,[11] endorsed Ramaswamy)[12]
Endorsements
[edit]Dave Yost
- Statewide officials
- Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State (1999–2007)[13]
Vivek Ramaswamy (not declared)
- U.S. senators
- Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee (2019–present)[14]
- Mike Lee, Utah (2011–present)[14]
- Rick Scott, Florida (2019–present)[15]
- Statewide officials
- Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State (2019–present)[12]
- Robert Sprague, Ohio State Treasurer (2019–present)[8]
Polling
[edit]Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Vivek Ramaswamy |
Robert Sprague |
Dave Yost |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPA Intelligence[A] | January 28–30, 2025 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 57% | 6% | 26% | 10% |
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Amy Acton, former director of the Ohio Department of Health (2019–2020)[16]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Chris Redfern, former state representative (1999–2002, 2003–2008, 2013–2014) and former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party (2005–2014)[17]
- Tim Ryan, former U.S. representative (2003–2023) and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022[18]
Potential
[edit]- Sherrod Brown, former U.S. senator (2007–2025)[19]
- Greg Landsman, U.S. Representative from Ohio's 1st congressional district (2023–present)[20]
- Allison Russo, Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2022–present) and nominee for Ohio's 15th congressional district in the 2021 special election[21]
- Emilia Sykes, U.S. Representative from Ohio's 13th congressional district (2023–present)[20]
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[22] | Likely R | January 23, 2025 |
| Inside Elections[23] | Solid R | February 6, 2025 |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
Partisan clients
- ^ Poll sponsored by Club for Growth
External links
[edit]Official campaign websites
References
[edit]- ^ Muhammad, Mariyam. "Can Mike DeWine run for Ohio governor in 2026? What to know about term limits". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "Hill begins 2026 bid for Ohio Governor". Morgan County Herald. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Vakil, Caroline (January 23, 2025). "Ohio AG Dave Yost launches bid for governor". The Hill. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ Croup, Josh (February 15, 2025). "Vivek Ramaswamy files paperwork to run for governor of Ohio". WTVG. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
Ramaswamy will formally launch his campaign in his native Cincinnati on Feb. 24.
- ^ a b Zanona, Melanie; Soellner, Mica (January 23, 2025). "Lawmakers have their eyes on governors' mansions". Punchbowl News. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
- ^ Rees, David (February 10, 2025). "Gov. DeWine picks former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel as lieutenant governor". WDTN. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
During Monday's press conference, Tressel did not rule out jumping into the 2026 race for the governor's mansion
- ^ Pelzer, Jeremy (September 25, 2023). "Ohio Republican bows out of 2026 governor's race". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Balmert, Jessie; BeMiller, Haley (February 5, 2025). "Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague to run for secretary of state, backs Ramaswamy for governor". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ Pelzer, Jeremy (March 28, 2023). "Jeremiah Workman, Joe Blystone's 2022 running mate, launches 2026 run for governor". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Krieg, Daniel Strauss, Gregory (January 17, 2025). "DeWine expected to name state Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Senate seat vacated by Vance". CNN. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
Pressed on his previous interest in being governor, and the decision to accept the appointment to the US Senate, Husted said he 'switched my mind probably 100 times.'
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Smyth, Julie Carr (February 6, 2025). "Ohio elections chief Frank LaRose will run for state auditor in 2026". Associated Press. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
- ^ a b Trau, Morgan (February 12, 2025). "From gridiron to Statehouse: Could Jim Tressel shake up the Buckeye State's 2026 gubernatorial election". WEWS-TV. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ https://www.daveyost.com/press/ken-blackwell-endorses-dave-yost-for-ohio-governor
- ^ a b Nitzberg, Alex (February 4, 2025). "Senators back Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor ahead of expected gubernatorial bid". Fox News. Retrieved February 4, 2025.
- ^ Costeines, Michael (January 28, 2025). "Rick Scott Endorses Vivek Ramaswamy's Expected Run for Ohio Governor". The Floridian. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Buchanan, Tyler (January 7, 2025). "Acton announces run for Ohio governor". Axios. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ Pelzer, Jeremy (August 26, 2024). "Ex-Ohio Dems Chair Chris Redfern eyes 2026 run for statewide office". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ Tobias, Andrew (November 14, 2024). "Democrat Tim Ryan open to 2026 election run; who's battling for Ohio House speaker". Signal Cleveland. Archived from the original on November 28, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ Cohen, David (November 24, 2024). "Sherrod Brown won't rule out running for Senate again". Politico. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Gonzales, Nathan (February 12, 2025). "House members running for governor could complicate fight for majority". Roll Call. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
- ^ Henry, Megan (January 7, 2025). "Dr. Amy Acton is running for Ohio governor". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
There is speculation about whether Ohio Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, will also run for governor.
- ^ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- ^ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.