Ohio’s 2026 Primaries Set the Stage for High-Stakes Showdowns on Voting Rights and Statewide Power

Ohio’s May 5 primaries have sharpened the fight lines for the 2026 statewide elections, with critical contests that will shape the state’s political landscape and its approach to democracy itself. The races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and the Ohio Supreme Court nominations are now set, highlighting battles over election integrity, access to voting, and political control.

At the heart of the drama is the secretary of state race, where Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague will face Democrat Ohio House Rep. Allison Russo this November. Sprague, who easily secured the GOP nomination, is pushing a hardline agenda to roll back voting access, targeting no-excuse absentee ballots and unmanned drop boxes. He argues this will create “the most secure elections in Ohio history,” despite no evidence of widespread fraud. Sprague’s plan would drastically reduce mail-in voting, a move that critics say will suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters.

Russo, meanwhile, positions herself as a defender of voting rights and a bulwark against Republican efforts to restrict ballots. She calls the GOP’s fraud claims “simply false” and warns that pushing these baseless narratives threatens democratic integrity. Her campaign frames the secretary of state’s office as a frontline in the battle to protect free and fair elections in Ohio.

The attorney general race also features a clear partisan split. Democrat John Kulewicz, a Columbus attorney and Upper Arlington councilman, won his primary with a pledge to remove politics from the office and focus on the “day-to-day needs of Ohioans.” He will take on Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. This contest will test whether Ohio voters want an attorney general who prioritizes political agendas or one focused on public service.

In the race for state treasurer, former Ohio House Rep. Jay Edwards narrowly defeated state senator Kristina Roegner, signaling a division within Republican ranks. Edwards, backed by Vice President JD Vance, promises to address fiscal issues affecting everyday Ohioans, while Roegner had the support of other GOP leaders, including primary winner Vivek Ramaswamy.

These primaries come amid a broader national pattern of Republican efforts to tighten control over election administration and suppress votes under the guise of security. Ohio’s secretary of state race is a microcosm of this fight, with serious implications for the state’s democratic health.

As Ohioans head to the polls in November, the stakes could not be higher. Will the state embrace policies that expand access to voting and protect democratic norms, or will it follow the path of restrictive measures that undermine trust in elections? The 2026 contests will offer a clear answer.