October 6, 2026
We wanted to provide a brief legislative update following the Ohio gas tax holiday legislation that was passed late last week as well as election updates. The elections are heating up with the U.S. Senate seat polling indicating incumbent Senator Jon Husted (R) is slightly behind former Senator Sherrod Brown (D) and the gubernatorial race is also within a few percentage points for former Health Department Director Dr. Amy Action versus Vivek Ramaswamy. At this point, both are toss-ups. The Statehouse is also expected to shift with retirements and some key races are tightening. G2G is continuing to attend events and interact with the Gubernational, Congressional, and Statehouse candidates so we are well-positioned for influence and advocacy.
Ohio Gas Tax Holiday
Ohio’s 90-day gas tax holiday took effect October 4, 2026, after Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 on October 1. The suspension eliminates Ohio’s 38.5-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and 47-cent-per-gallon diesel tax through the end of the year. The state is using roughly $725–$726 million from the General Revenue Fund to backfill transportation funding that normally comes from the fuel tax. For the average driver, lawmakers estimate the holiday will provide about $3 per week in savings, or roughly $55 over the three-month period.
The measure received bipartisan support, but Democrats and Republicans offered very different perspectives on it. Republican leaders characterized the holiday as immediate relief for Ohioans facing unusually high gas prices and emphasized that the General Revenue Fund would protect road and bridge funding. Democrats were more divided: some voted for the measure because Ohioans need relief, but argued that $3 a week is insufficient and that lawmakers should address broader affordability concerns. Other Democrats criticized the timing as an election-year political stunt, pointing out that lawmakers returned to the Statehouse just weeks before Election Day after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton first called for a gas-tax suspension and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy subsequently backed the idea. The gas tax holiday will end on December 31, 2026.
Cleveland Regional Impact Ohio Event
G2G attended the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s “Cleveland Regional Impact Ohio” event, where many of the area’s government, business, and community leaders offered insights on priorities facing the Northeast Ohio region. Overviews of the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County growth priorities were provided by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. They center on:
- Economic revitalization addressing cost-of-living pressures and resource constraints
- Neighborhood investment and public safety by continuing the RISE Initiative and Operation SPF 216 to reduce violent crime, illegal guns, and quality-of-life issues as well as increasing the availability of accessible, affordable house options with sustainable energy
- Major dual-waterfront and infrastructure developments that include $5 billion transformation of both the Lake Erie lakefront and the Cuyahoga River corridor and the downtown lakefront post-stadium transition and funding the redevelopment of 1,000 acres of inner-city brownfield sites into ready-to-use manufacturing and employment hubs and enhancing Destination Cleveland efforts.
In addition, business leaders and legislative panels covered plans for growing the region’s innovation economy, the talent needs of every business sector, and property tax reform. In particular, Cuyahoga County is focusing on job training initiatives and expanding access to high-quality, affordable childcare across the region. Finally, Northeast Ohio’s state legislators offered perspectives on their priorities for a lame duck session following the election, including child care reform, energy sector worker reforms, and zero-based budgeting, among other topics.
Elections
Senate
Both Ohio’s gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races have tightened considerably, with recent polling showing Democrats holding leads in both contests. Nationally, Ohio is now among the handful of Republican-held Senate seats that may change party control. In addition, hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on these races, indicating just how crucial these races are nationally.
Amy Acton (D) has moved into a small but meaningful polling lead over Vivek Ramaswamy (R). The latest Marist poll which was conducted September 24–27 has Acton 50% to Ramaswamy 44%. A newer NYT/Siena poll has Acton ahead 49%–45%. The overall average is roughly Acton +3, with the race still classified as a toss-up.
The Senate race is also increasingly competitive. Sherrod Brown (D) is currently ahead of Jon Husted (R) in most recent polling. The latest NYT/Siena poll has Brown 49%–46%, while Marist showed a larger 51%–43% advantage. The five-poll average is approximately Brown 46.8% to Husted 43.8%. The race continues to be considered a toss-up.
House
Other key races we are watching in Ohio include OH-07 and OH-09. First, incumbent Congressman Max Miller (R) is facing Brian Poindexter (D) in Northeast Ohio in what started out as likely re-election that has shifted to a toss-up seat due to allegations of abuse from two women (one his ex-wife who is the daughter of U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno) and against his daughter. His opponent, Brian Poindexter is a Brook Park Councilman and union ironworker. Miller still has the advantages of incumbency and a district that has historically favored Republicans, but the controversy surrounding him has fundamentally changed the race. OH-7 is now one of the most competitive Ohio House races to watch this fall.
But not as competitive as OH-9 where incumbent Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D) is in the toughest re-election match of her life, largely due to redistricting that shifted her district to strongly favor a GOP candidate. That candidate is Derek Merrin (R), a former state representative. He hopes to win this time as he lost in 2024 48.3% to 47.6%. Kaptur is the longest serving woman in Congress and the longest serving Ohioan currently in Congress. She was first elected in 1982 and despite changing maps that make her district more and more red, she has continued to win her seat back. This time may be different. This is the tightest election in the state (and possibly the country) this midterm election cycle.
Statehouse
Republicans are expected to keep the majority at the Ohio Statehouse, but there are 6 key races that could take Democrats out of the super minority in the House.
HD-17 — Megan Coy (D) vs. Rep. Mike Dovilla (R)
This district includes southwestern Cuyahoga County, including Strongsville, North Royalton and Berea. This is one of the seats Democrats are specifically targeting and has been identified it as one of the GOP-held districts most susceptible to a Democratic flip.
HD-31 — J. Noah Spinner (D) vs. Mike Kahoe (R)
This district includes northern/western Summit County, including Cuyahoga Falls, Copley and Barberton. This is an open Republican seat because Rep. Bill Roemer is term-limited. Democrats are heavily focused here, and the district is one of the four that Trump won by only about five points or less in 2024.
HD-35 — Samantha Salamon (D) vs. Vik Sandhu (R)
This district includes parts of Geauga, Portage and Summit counties, including Twinsburg, Aurora and Streetsboro. Like HD-31, this is an open Republican seat, with Rep. Steve Demetriou running for the state Senate. The district has been competitive in recent cycles and is one of the Democrat’s priority targets.
HD-36 — Rose Lounsbury (D) vs. Andrea White (R)
This district includes eastern Montgomery County, including Kettering and parts of Dayton. White is the incumbent, but the district is notable because Trump lost it in 2024, making it one of the most naturally competitive Republican-held seats.
HD-52 — Mike Baker (D) vs. Cliff Winkel (R)
This district includes northeastern Lorain County, including North Ridgeville, Elyria and Avon. This is another open Republican seat because Rep. Gayle Manning is running for the state Senate. Sen. Nathan Manning stepped out of the race to take a judge position, making the race more competitive with two lesser-known candidates.
HD-60 — Shelby Kimball (D) vs. Brian Lorenz (R)
This district includes western Delaware County, including Delaware, Powell and Lewis Center. This is the Columbus-area race on the Democrats' main target list. Republican strategists specifically cite HD-60 as one of the districts that could be flipped.