TOLEDO — Ohio’s May primary election is now behind us, kickstarting what will be months of campaigning ahead of November’s general election. While a number of important issues and races were on the ballot, here are five contests that’ll be worth keeping an eye on into November.
Race 1: Ohio’s 9th Congressional District
Ohio’s 9th Congressional District is currently represented by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo). While she ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, the field of challengers in the Republican primary was vast. It included Sylvania-area State Representative Josh Williams, former state representative and ex-Waterville Mayor Derek Merrin, former deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Madison Sheahan, veteran Alea Nadeem, and Anthony Campbell.
Ultimately, Merrin prevailed, winning with just over 44 percent of the vote. Williams came in second, Sheahan third, Nadeem fourth, and Campbell fifth. Merrin’s win in the GOP primary sets up a rematch against Rep. Kaptur, who he lost to by just 2,382 in November of 2024.
While the Republican at the top of the ticket back then, Donald Trump, managed to carry the district by nearly seven points, that “red wave” year simply wasn’t enough to carry Merrin to victory. However, last year, Ohio had its legally-required mid-decade redistricting process, in which the 9th was redrawn to have an even stronger Republican advantage than it did in 2024.
While Kaptur’s climb is steep, in a district that would have voted for President Trump by just over 11 points in 2024, The Cook Political Report rates this race a “toss up.” A key reason for Kaptur’s resilience has been the strength of her name recognition, connection to voters who would otherwise view Democrats unfavorably, as well as — in the case of her 2024 victory — strong support in the cities of Toledo, Fremont, and Sandusky. Kaptur’s new district no longer includes Fremont, though a strong showing in the Toledo & Sandusky areas could put her over the line once again.
Race 2: Secretary of State
Also on Tuesday: the Democratic and Republican primaries in the race for Ohio Secretary of State. On the Democratic side, State Representative Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) faced a primary challenge from Dr. Bryan Hambley, a Southwest Ohio oncologist. While on the Republican side, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague faced a primary challenge from veteran Marcell Stribch. Unofficial results show Russo will face Sprague in November. Tom Pruss is running as the Libertarian nominee.
Race 3: Attorney General
In the Democratic primary for Ohio Attorney General, attorney John Kulewicz defeated former state representative Elliot Forhan. Kulewicz will go on to face Republican Keith Faber, who currently serves as state auditor, in November.
Race 4: Governor
Dr. Amy Acton, Youngstown native and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, faced no Democratic primary challenger. She advances to face Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in November. Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati native, handily won the Republican nomination. He faced a primary challenge from Casey Putsch.
Race 5: U.S. Senate
In the Democratic primary, Sherrod Brown, who represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate from 2006-2024, easily defeated his primary challenger, Ron Kincaid. Brown goes on to face Republican Senator Jon Husted in November.
Husted, Ohio’s former lieutenant governor, was appointed to the senate seat by Governor Mike DeWine, as JD Vance’s replacement, upon his election to the vice presidency. Brown lost his 2024 reelection bid to Republican Bernie Moreno by just 3.6 points. The close result suggests Brown was unable to overcome the “Trump wave” of 2024, which gives some Democrats confidence his fortunes will be better this year, as Trump won’t be on the ballot.
The Context: Democrats need to flip four seats in the U.S. Senate in order to gain a majority in the chamber. One of the party’s most likely paths to doing that requires flipping one of Ohio’s, which is why the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC is committing $40 million to support Brown’s campaign. In comparison, the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund is providing $79 million to back Husted’s campaign.
