This November’s statewide elections are crucial for Ohio politicians, whether they’re in the state Legislature or the U.S. Capitol.
That’s especially true if the proposed “Citizens Not Politicians” amendment to end gerrymandering of Ohio’s congressional and congressional districts goes to the November ballot across the state and is passed by voters. be.
(That’s assuming state Republicans, who currently benefit from having districts drawn by Republican insiders, don’t figure out a way to stall or crush the efforts of non-politician citizens.) ing.)
Still, this November’s election is undoubtedly, in purely Ohioan terms, a prelude to Ohio’s main event: the 2026 fight for a statewide election executive position at the state Capitol. . Because, although others may disagree, what the Governor of Ohio (and, for example, the Attorney General of Ohio) does in Columbus has about as much impact on daily life in Ohio as what federal police do in Washington. This is because it may have an impact.
(If not, explain the avalanche of fat cat donations to political campaigns across the state.)
Unsurprisingly, the presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will receive the most airtime between now and November, followed by incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown of Cleveland and his Sen. Elections will continue.
The Republican talent pool is deep.
His Republican challenger, Westlake entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, is an enthusiastic supporter of Trump.
As always, the Ohio Republican Party has a wealth of up-and-coming talent across the state when it comes to 2026 candidates for statewide executive office.
That’s because Republicans control all of Ohio’s executive branch, which has been the starting point for Ohio politics. By contrast, Democrats hold Mr. Brown’s Senate seat and three seats on the Ohio Supreme Court, but currently hold no statewide elected executive positions.
And the opening of the state capitol in 2026 is very temptingly looming. Lame-duck Republican Gov. Mike DeWine will complete his second consecutive term as governor in January 2027, but because of state term limits, he will not be able to seek a third consecutive term in 2026. limit.
Battle for DeWine’s successor
Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted is seen as Mr. DeWine’s successor and is considered a potential Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2026. Mr. Husted is on a par with Mr. DeWine, and has the most statewide coverage of any lieutenant governor since, for example, Richard F. Celeste (1975-1979), a Lakewood Democrat who was Ohio’s governor from 1983 to 1991. seems to be gaining popularity.
But assessing Mr. Husted’s strong political advantage does not mean that he was involved in the House Bill 6 scandal, the state’s attack on two nuclear power plants then owned by Akron-based utility company FirstEnergy. This assumes that the bailout proposal’s scandals won’t blow it away in voters’ eyes. Husted had something to do with this, as Husted supported DeWine’s appointment of the late Samuel Randazzo, who was later indicted in the HB 6 case, as chairman of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission.
(To be fair, the state Senate unanimously approved Randazzo’s appointment, and HB 6 would not have become law unless some Democrats in the Ohio House and Senate voted to pass it.) It should have been.)
Nuclear subsidies were eliminated, but the remaining portion of HB 6 was used to cover losses from two coal-fired power plants (one in Indiana) owned in part by three Ohio utilities. has cost Ohio consumers approximately $250 million in damages, and the losses continue to rise. , AES (Dayton Power & Light) and Duke.
more:The roots of the HB 6 corruption scandal run deep in Ohio. The Department of Justice needs to investigate.
Still, given Mr. Husted’s high profile, experienced resume (Ohio House speaker, secretary of state), photogenic appearance, and support from Mr. DeWine, the former Ohio State Comptroller and Mr. Husted It’s hard to believe Attorney General Dave Yost, whose name has been in the news just as much. At the very least, DeWine has no intention of running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2026.
Due to term limits, Yost cannot run for AG again, and it seems unlikely that he will be tied to retirement or content with a less prominent position. And of all the executive officers statewide, Yost appears to have the surest touch for promotion.
But the gaze of every statewide executive officer of the Republican Party today is reminiscent of the “Ohio look” described by Columbus-born humorist and cartoonist James Thurber, a former Dispatch statehouse reporter.[When an Ohio politician’s face displays] A cheering audience, a landslide, and the dreamy, distant look of a man richly meditating on his noble office. ” That way, he will be in 2026 with Ohio State thriving.
Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and writes at Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com
