Ohio primary election 2026: What’s at stake as voters head to polls

Voters in the US state of Ohio are set to head to the polls in the state’s primaries to select candidates for several key positions in the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Ohio elections are highly significant as the midterm battle will determine the trajectory of state leadership.

Polls will open on Election Day at 6:30am local time (10:30 GMT) and close at 7:30pm (23:30 GMT).

The key races include choosing the candidates for the US Senate, US House, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, state supreme court, state senate and state house.

The gubernatorial race

The key battles include the gubernatorial race to succeed term-limited Mike DeWine. From the Republican side, Vivek Ramaswamy, endorsed by Trump, faces challenges from Casey Putsch. From Democratic side, Amy Acton is the frontrunner, who is the former director of the Ohio Department of Health.

The race will decide if Ohio maintains its inclination towards deep-red executive branch or if a moderate-to-progressive Democrat can reclaim the governorship.

The Senate special election

The Senate special election will be held to fill the seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance. The high-stake race featured two top contenders, including Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican incumbent Jon Husted.

Brown is seeking a political comeback after losing his seat in 2024 to Bernie Moreno, presenting himself a challenger.

Whoever wins the election will serve the remaining two years of the senate seat. This seat is a must win for both parties. For Republicans, the aim is to strengthen their gains in a right-trending state, while Democrats see it as their best shot to secure a Senate majority.

Race for 9th Congressional district

It focuses on unseating Democrat Marcy Kaptur who is the longest serving woman in congressional history. She is facing the challenge from top Republican challengers, including Derek Merrin, Josh Williams, and Madison Sheahan.

Once a swing state, Ohio has pivoted towards Republicans as Trump won the state by 12 points in 2024. Despite the leanings of Republicans, Democrats believe that they have a promising opportunity to win elections as Trump’s approval ratings are “underwater due to poor handling of the economy and inflation.”

Republicans are currently favoured to win at least 10 of Ohio’s 15 House seats. The winners in the primaries will make their way to November midterms.

In November’s midterm elections, voters nationwide will elect all 435 house members and 33 senators.