Ohio Democrats hope Trump and high prices will put governor and U.S. Senate seats in play
Former GOP presidential candidate Ramaswamy headlines field of candidates.
Though the once-reliable swing state of Ohio has trended Republican in recent elections, Democrats are hoping that President Donald Trump's low approval rating and high prices and a strong slate of candidates can help them hold on to House seats and put the governor and Senate races in play.
While Tuesday will see only a handful of competitive primaries, it will set the stage for several key races in November.
In the race for governor, Dr. Amy Acton, the state’s Democratic former chief health official, and businessman and onetime Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy are expected to win their primaries.
Ramaswamy called himself the "anti-woke" candidate during his 2024 presidential run. He dropped out of the race after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and endorsed rival Donald Trump. When Trump announced his DOGE initiative after his election in 2024, Ramaswamy was named as a co-leader along with billionaire and Trump backer Elon Musk. However, Ramaswamy left shortly after to run for governor.
Ramaswamy faced criticism from his Republican colleagues over his 2024 comments that the rise of foreign-born engineers in the tech industry is a result of an American culture that “has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.” Acton has featured Ramaswamy's comment extensively in her campaign ads ands speeches.
Ramaswamy was able to largely clear the field early with an endorsement from Trump last year. He has given significant amounts of cash to his own campaign, with a $25 million loan just last month. He faces auto engineer Casey Putsch, who has a significant Youtube following for his videos on classic cars, but has failed to raise significant funds or win key endorsements.
Acton, who was appointed by the state's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019, gained prominence in the state for leading the early response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has raised $10 million so far, a record for an Ohio Democratic governor candidate.
The state’s U.S. Senate race is expected to be one of the closest in the country. The race will likely be a matchup between incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to finish Vice President JD Vance’s term, and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat to now-GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024. Husted is running uncontested in his Republican primary and Brown has raised nearly 500 times as much as his opponent Ron Kincaid and has already received the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
On the House side, several races are expected to be close.
In the 1st District, which includes the Cincinnati area, incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman faces a tough race to retain his seat in the general election after redistricting shifted the district from one then-Vice President Kamala Harris won by 6 points in 2024 to one she would have lost by 2.5 points. Cook Political Report ranks the race as a Toss Up. Landsman is facing a progressive primary challenger critical of his position on Israel, but Landsman has a massive cash advantage in the race.
On the Republican side, Trump-endorsed former CIA officer Eric Conroy is expected to win the primary over a field of three other candidates, one of which withdrew after Trump's endorsement but remains on the ballot. Conroy also has the backing of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
In the 9th District in the northwest corner of the state, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in Congress, faces no primary challengers in her attempt to hold on to her Trump-supporting district in November.
Ohio’s new boundaries have shifted Kaptur's district from one that Trump won in 2024 by 7 points to one that he would have won by 11 points.
The potential pickup opportunity has drawn a crowded field of Republican candidates. The most recognizable is former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, who left the department earlier this year ahead of the departure of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
While Sheahan has received much of the national attention, many local leaders, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose, have endorsed State Rep. Josh Williams. He and former State Rep. Derrick Merrin, who narrowly lost to Kaptur in 2024, have raised the most money in that race.
In the Akron area's 13th District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes faces a slightly less competitive race than in past elections as redistricting added Democratic-leaning areas to her district, moving it from one Harris won by one-tenth of a point in 2024 to one she would have won by 3 points.
Trump has yet to back a candidate in either the 9th or 13th districts.
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