September 14, 2026

Ohio Legislative Update

Last Updated: September 14, 2026

Overview

As we inch closer to the November General Election, much of the focus in Ohio has shifted toward campaigns. The Governor’s race remains highly competitive, with Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy running neck-and-neck. Republicans continue to hold the advantage in the Statehouse, but Democrats are targeting several seats that could help break the GOP’s supermajority. In Congress, the Husted-Brown Senate race remains competitive, along with several U.S. House contests across the state. Ohio’s voter registration deadline is October 5, with early voting beginning October 6. You can check your voter registration status here.

Another major issue heading into the election is data centers, with ongoing debate over economic development, grid capacity, electricity costs, tax incentives and potential ballot initiatives. G2G remains focused on planning for Lame Duck and meeting with legislators as we anticipate our next administration. More on elections and data centers in the update.

Our next Ohio Legislative Update will follow the November General Election.

Elections

Gubernatorial Race

The governor’s race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton remains extremely competitive. The latest average has Acton at 47.3% and Ramaswamy at 47.0%, essentially a dead heat and rated a toss-up. Acton has gained some momentum in recent months, with prediction markets also moving in her direction, but the race remains within the margin of error.

Acton’s campaign reported raising nearly $22 million through July, including $5.88 million in July alone, and has outraised Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in each of the last three filing periods. Acton’s campaign says more than 95% of her contributions were $100 or less, highlighting a broad small-donor base. Ramaswamy entered the general election with a significant financial advantage, driven in large part by his $25 million personal investment and nearly $20 million raised from donors in 2025. While Acton has outpaced him in fundraising during the most recent reporting periods, Ramaswamy still has substantially more cash available for the general election.

Ramaswamy has accepted invitations to debate but Acton has opted to keep her focus on the campaign trail, citing false attack ads by her opponent, so at this point we do not anticipate seeing a debate ahead of the election.

U.S. Senate Race

Democrat and former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown currently has a modest advantage over Republican Sen. Jon Husted. The latest polling shows Brown at 49.3% to Husted’s 46.7%, while the most recent individual polls have generally shown Brown ahead. An August Fox News poll had Brown up 53%-45%, while an August Wedgewood poll showed a closer 48%-44% Brown lead. The race is still rated a toss-up and is expected to be one of the key contests in determining Senate control.

Sherrod Brown has a substantial fundraising advantage over Jon Husted. Through June 30, Brown had raised about $38.6 million for the 2026 cycle and had $16.2 million cash on hand, compared with Husted's $14.4 million raised and $9.4 million cash on hand. Husted did have a strong second quarter, raising $7.7 million across his affiliated committees, and outside Republican groups are also committing significant resources including the Senate Leadership Fund's $79 million initial investment in the Ohio race.

Congress

Ohio will see a few other hotly contested seats on the federal level, including some that have the potential to flip.

OH-1 — Greg Landsman (D) vs. Eric Conroy (R): Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman is seeking a third term in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Cincinnati and surrounding communities, against Republican Eric Conroy. Landsman has represented the district since 2023, and the race is among the Ohio contests drawing attention as Democrats seek to defend their seats in a state where Republicans hold the majority of congressional districts. Current forecasting favors Landsman. However, the district is genuinely competitive. Landsman won reelection in 2024 with 54.6%, while Donald Trump carried the district by about 6.5 points, creating a split-ticket environment that gives Republicans an opportunity. The 2026 election will be held under Ohio’s newly redrawn congressional map.

OH-7 — Max Miller (R) vs. Brian Poindexter (D): Republican Rep. Max Miller is facing Democrat Brian Poindexter in Northeast Ohio. The race has received increased national attention, but Miller remains on the November ballot. Poindexter, a Brook Park councilman and union ironworker, has received increased support from organized labor and national Democratic groups. The House Majority PAC has announced millions in additional spending in the Cleveland area, and the DCCC has elevated Poindexter to its Red to Blue program. Poindexter has moved from being a long-shot challenger to being a serious contender in a Toss-Up race. Miller still has the advantages of incumbency and a district that has historically favored Republicans, but the controversy surrounding him has fundamentally changed the dynamics of the race. OH-7 is now one of the most competitive Ohio House races to watch this fall.

OH-9 — Marcy Kaptur (D) vs. Derek Merrin (R): Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur is seeking another term in Ohio’s 9th District against Republican Derek Merrin, a former state representative, in a rematch of their 2024 contest. Kaptur, who first won the seat in 1982, is the longest-serving current member of Ohio's congressional delegation. The race is receiving national attention because Ohio's new Republican-drawn congressional map altered the district and could make Kaptur's reelection more challenging. Kaptur, nevertheless, has a strong history of outperforming the district’s partisan baseline and narrowly defeated Merrin 48.3% to 47.6% in 2024.

OH-15 — Mike Carey (R) vs. Don Leonard (D): Republican Rep. Mike Carey is seeking reelection in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District against Democrat Don Leonard. Carey, who first won the seat in a 2021 special election, represents a district centered in the Columbus region and extending into parts of central and southern Ohio. Leonard describes himself as an educator, Medicaid kid, husband and father, and his campaign is focused on working families, health care, education and affordability. This race is Republican-leaning but competitive, rather than a safe Republican race. Leonard has become a credible challenger, and the relatively small polling gap plus the number of undecided voters gives him a path to win. However, Carey starts with the advantages of incumbency, substantially greater fundraising and a district that voted for him by a comfortable margin in 2024. Current public ratings have generally continued to place the race on the Republican side of the spectrum.

Ohio Statehouse

Republicans will 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.

On the Ballot

Affordability is on the Ballot

Groundwork Ohio’s latest statewide poll finds affordability is a central concern for Ohio voters heading into the 2026 election, with childcare emerging as a significant part of that challenge.

64% of voters say lowering the cost of living is one of the two most important issues facing their families
76% view finding and affording quality childcare as either a crisis or major problem
72% say candidates’ plans to support working families with young children will be important to their gubernatorial vote, the findings suggest childcare is increasingly being viewed not only as a family issue, but also as an affordability, workforce and economic competitiveness issue
74% say expanding access to quality childcare would strengthen Ohio’s economy and workforce, rising to 77% among parents
34% say they or someone they know would consider entering the workforce if quality care were available
86% say families should be able to choose the childcare setting that works best for them
70% support publicly funded assistance for eligible working families

Data Centers

Ohio’s data center debate has shifted from whether to attract the industry to how to manage its impact on electricity customers, the grid, water and local communities. The most recent development is the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) asking Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to make PJM’s proposed grid protections apply specifically to data centers and cryptocurrency miners, rather than traditional manufacturers, arguing that these large digital loads are driving much of the region’s demand growth.

HB 646 remains pending in the Senate Energy Committee after passing the House; the bill would establish requirements around electricity costs, water use, taxation and other aspects of data center development. PUCO also recently directed AEP Ohio to develop measures designed to prevent other customers from absorbing costs associated with serving large data center loads. Meanwhile, the issue is increasingly playing out locally. Grove City has imposed a one-year moratorium amid controversy over a proposed 300-acre, $6.9 billion data center project, with a related charter amendment headed to voters. Bottom line: Ohio is still pursuing data center investment, but the policy conversation is increasingly focused on ensuring projects pay their own infrastructure costs and don't shift electricity, water or other costs onto existing businesses and residential ratepayers.

A newer grassroots political group in Ohio is behind a handful of citizen-driven proposals that will give local residents — and perhaps even residents across the state — the chance to ban hyperscale data centers starting this November. Conserve Ohio announced Tuesday, Sept. 8 that it has so far gathered 130,000 signatures in the group’s quest to force a statewide vote on any new data center project that would consume more than 25 megawatts of energy per month.

Additionally, State and local tax breaks for data centers would effectively be wiped out under legislation U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno plans to introduce. The proposal would impose a federal tax equal to 100% of any tax incentive a state or local government gives a data center. This would not stop Ohio or its cities, counties and townships from offering tax breaks. Instead, it would effectively erase the savings for data center companies by taxing them for the same amount at the federal level.

Upcoming Events

October 1^st 11am-1pm — National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Columbus Chapter Candidate Forum

G2G is proud to sponsor NAWBO Columbus’ Candidate forum which will be held on Thursday, October 1^st 11am-1pm at Ross Auditorium at Franklin University; 301 E. Rich S Columbus, OH 43215.

NAWBO members and Ohio businesses are diverse in many ways, including the size of their business, the sectors and communities they serve, the stage of business development, race, ethnicity, geographic business areas, and political leanings that determine policy views. We recognize the ever-present need to represent all members while creating the avenue and environment to build sustainable women-owned and diverse businesses. This forum invites major party candidates representing Franklin County for U.S. Senate and House and Ohio Senate and House as well as our gubernatorial candidates. We have 15 confirmed candidates for the event! This is a great opportunity to meet legislators and potential new members and hear more about their priorities. You can register here to join.

October 6^th noon-1pm — Advocacy In Action – Ohio Nonprofit Webinar for 2027 State Operating Budget

Join G2G, Ohio state budget leaders, and nonprofit leaders for a webinar on the state operating budget process and what nonprofits can expect as planning begins for the 2027 budget cycle. Our team of experts will share insights and tips on how to make your voice heard at the Ohio Statehouse, with lawmakers and key decision-makers, in the pursuit of funding, policy changes and raising awareness of key issues in Ohio. With a new governor and a new General Assembly taking office in 2027, now is the time to get organized to shape the must-pass state operating budget bill. A new governor will bring many unknowns to the budget process, and we will provide practical insights on how to prepare for a new administration. This webinar will equip you with tools to advocate for funding for Ohio nonprofits as well as strategies to advance broader relationship development, policy influence, and awareness campaigns. Register here to attend.

Speakers:

Paula Haines – CEO, Freedom a la Cart
Andrea Harless, MPA – Senior Director of Government Affairs, G2G, and former Statehouse Legislative Aide
Dontavius Jarrells – Ohio State Representative
Kim Murnieks, MPA – Director, Ohio Department of Budget and Management
Griffin Tullis, MHA – Government Affairs Associate, G2G, and former Statehouse Legislative Aide
Becky Watts – Vice President, G2G, former Appropriations Director for then-Senator DeWine and former Statehouse Legislative Aide

October 13 noon-1pm — Advocacy in Action – Federal Funding and Advocacy for Nonprofits Webinar

Gain a foundational understanding of how the federal government works and what it takes to be an effective advocate. Join our experienced advocates and lobbyists as they describe the legislative process, explore the timelines, key influences, challenges, and opportunities to shape policymaking and obtain funding. You’ll also learn strategies for advocacy, including strategic planning and grassroots organizing, so you can confidently engage with elected officials. Register here to attend.