On Tuesday, May 5, Ohioans will go to the polls to decide the major party nominees for the midterm elections in November and vote on local tax levies. Registered voters can ask for a Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, or an Issues Only ballot, which only includes non-partisan tax levies.
Below is a voter guide for some of the election’s important races. For the full voter guide, see the Review’s website.
Republican Governor & Lt. Governor
Heather Hill and Stuart Moats have dropped out of the race. Hill accused Moats of making a racist comment, and Moats filed paperwork with the Ohio Secretary of State to drop out of the race. The Secretary of State’s Office ruled that Hill could not run without a running mate. Hill and Moats will both still appear on the ballot as candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor, but votes cast for them will not be counted.
Casey Putsch and Kimberly C. Georgeton. Casey Putsch is an automotive business owner and the founder of the automotive educational charity Genius Garage. Putsch’s website prominently displays his opposition to H1-B visas, mass immigration, and “anti-American propaganda in education and the media.” Putsch has attracted some controversy. On Aug. 6, 2025, Putsch released a video on his YouTube channel, during which he asked the Grok chatbot to list the good qualities of Adolf Hitler. Putsch’s running mate is Kim Georgeton, a former business executive and the founder of Free Our Children, an organization that advocated against vaccine and mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a chapter chair of Moms For Liberty, a conservative advocacy group.
Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley. Born in Cincinnati, Vivek Ramaswamy is a biotech entrepreneur and was a candidate for president in 2024. He attended Harvard University and Yale School of Law. He founded biotech company Roivant Sciences, and his personal wealth is currently valued at $2.4 billion by Forbes. Ramaswamy was involved with Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts in 2025. He has been endorsed by Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party. His running mate for Lt. Governor is President of the Ohio Senate Rob McColley. On Ramaswamy’s website, McColley echoes Ramaswamy’s promises to cut taxes and reduce government red tape.
Democratic U.S. Senate
Sherrod Brown was U.S. Senator from 2007 until he lost reelection to current U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno in 2024. His bid to return to the Senate has been much watched by national pundits. As of April 15, Brown’s campaign has a fundraising advantage over Republican U.S. Senator Jon Husted, who he will likely face in November.
Ron Kincaid is a first-time candidate, whose experience includes being an autism care advocate and volunteering for the special Olympics. He proposes an American Dividend Plan that will pay $500—$1,000 a month to every American depending on income level.
Democratic 5th District U.S. Representative
Daniel John Burket is a business owner from Findlay. His website emphasizes his humble background and business success. “I’m proud to say that I’m a product of welfare,” his statement on the site reads. “Without the support my family received when we needed it most, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” His policies are healthcare and immigration reform, investment in green energy, and opposition to Trump’s tariffs, which he says hurt farmers.
Martin M. Heberling III is Treasurer of the Lorain County AFL-CIO and a Lorain City Schools teacher and served as an Amherst City Councilman for seven years. His website lists his priorities as healthcare reform and support for public education and unions. The website emphasizes his personal experience with all through his work in public education and union organizing, and his experiences with “crippling medical debt.”
Brian Shaver is a teacher in Fostoria Public Schools and president of the Fostoria City Council. He hopes to ban congressional insider trading and enact campaign finance reform. Shaver, who lives on a farm, says he understands how farmers are affected by Trump’s tariff policy.
Scott E. Tabor is a retired sheet metal worker and nightclub owner. His website emphasizes his working class background and sympathy for many Americans’ struggles with healthcare and food costs. “My focus is simple: deliver real results for the people of Ohio’s 5th District,” his website reads. “Better roads. Better infrastructure. Stronger education. Real investment in our communities.”
Republican Secretary of State
Robert Sprague is currently Ohio’s Treasurer of State. He was previously city auditor, then city treasurer, for the City of Findlay, before entering the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served as state representative from 2011 to 2019. He has been treasurer since then. His website promotes his experience of balancing the budget and eliminating the estate tax. A campaign video on the same website features Sprague promising to verify voter citizenship for new registered voters and require photo I.D. for mail-in votes. The Ohio Republican Party has endorsed Sprague.
Lt. Col. Marcell Strbich is a retired Air Force Intelligence Officer who is running on a similar platform of election integrity. He served in the Air Force for 20 years and was deployed five times during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His website describes him as a “full-time Ohio statewide election integrity advocate.” Strbich wants to increase the data available to the Ohio Board of Elections to help election workers verify the eligibility of people trying to register. He has said that such work would mostly involve upgrading the Board’s internal systems and has also emphasized how he would verify citizenship to both register and vote.
Democratic Secretary of State
Bryan Hambley is an oncologist from Cincinnati and political newcomer. His website prominently features his opposition to Ohio’s current congressional and legislative maps, which he alleges are unfair and gerrymandered. Hambley has attacked his opponent Allison Russo over her vote in support of the Republican-supported legislative map in 2023 and for taking donations from corporate PACs during her time in the House.
Allison Russo is a state representative and previously served as minority leader. Her website emphasizes her role in the 2023 referendum to enshrine the right to abortion into the Ohio state constitution. Throughout her campaign, Russo has stressed her experience winning elections and working in the legislature. She has received endorsements from numerous prominent groups including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Education Association, and Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.
Republican Treasurer of State
Jay Edwards
Jay Edwards is a former member of the Ohio State of Representatives who served from 2017 until he reached the term limit in 2025. He has touted his experience as the House Finance chair, a position he held for two years, as qualification to be Ohio’s Treasurer of State. Edwards has been endorsed by Vice President J. D. Vance and U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno.
Kristina D. Roegner
Kristina D. Roegner is a state senator who has served since 2019. Before her time in the state senate, Roegner was a member of the Hudson City Council. She has stressed her training as an engineer and her M.B.A in finance from Wharton School of Business as qualifications for the position of treasurer. She is endorsed by gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and many members of the Ohio State Legislature.
Democratic Attorney General
Elliot Forhan is a former state representative from Brooklyn Heights. On his website he promises to prosecute President Donald Trump and “tax the rich.” Forhan has had a contentious relationship with the Ohio Democratic Party, which is endorsing his opponent. In 2023, Forhan, then a lawmaker, was forced out of the Democratic caucus due to allegations of “harassment, hostility, and intimidation of colleagues and staff.” In January, Forhan received criticism for saying he would convict and sentence Trump to death in a Facebook video.
John Kulewicz is an Upper Arlington City Councilmember and a Columbus-based lawyer. “I would have far less interest in taking part in the culture war cases around the nation [than incumbent Attorney General David Yost],” Kulewicz said in an interview with the Statehouse News Bureau, referring to Yost’s lawsuits against the Biden administration on policies regarding vaccine mandates and Title IX. Instead, Kulewicz said he will focus on issues such as medical fraud, robocall scammers, and price-fixing monopolies. He is endorsed by the Ohio AFL-CIO, the Ohio Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, and numerous prominent unions.
Republican County Commissioner for Lorain County
Jeff Riddell is the incumbent County Commissioner. He was first elected in 2022 and has served one term. “I have the experience, diversified, to understand and tackle the challenges facing the county,” Riddell said in an interview with the Chronicle-Telegram. “I am used to seeing the problem, doing the homework, and building a consensus to move on the issue/problem.”
Will Schlechter, a farmer, business owner, and Firelands School Board of Education Member is challenging Riddell in the Republican primary. In an interview with the Chronicle-Telegram, Schlechter criticized the “lack of communication and transparency of the County administration” regarding the proposed mega-site and west-side sewer project which have drawn backlash in New Russia Township and the surrounding area.
Democratic County Commissioner for Lorain County
Carolyn White
Carolyn White is a retired vice president at Keybank and Lorain City Council member. She has ties to the Lorain County Urban League, Community Foundation of Lorain County, and Lorain County Rising. She says as commissioner, she will focus on bringing high paying jobs to the County.
Brian Baker
Brian Baker is a retired electrician and union official. His platform includes supporting improving infrastructure, exploring clean energy, and cultivating local business and entrepreneurship.
Justice of the Supreme Court
Ronald Lewis
Ron Lewis is currently serving on the Ohio Second District Court of Appeals, which he was appointed to by Governor Mike DeWine in January 2022. He is a former prosecutor, and served as the City of Xenia Law Director from 2001 to 2016.
Colleen O’Donnell
Colleen O’Donnell is a former U.S. immigration judge in Laredo, TX and a former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge. On her official campaign website, it says “she enforced the law as written, never once granted asylum, and consistently ordered the removal of illegal aliens from our country.” She clerked for United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and served as an assistant attorney general in the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
Andrew King
Judge Andrew King sits on the Fifth District Court of Appeals. He was previously an assistant prosecuting attorney in Delaware County. King had early experience clerking for the Fourth District Court of Appeals, and also works as an adjunct professor at Capital University Law School.
Jill Lanzinger
Judge Jill Lanzinger sits on the Ninth District Court of Appeals. Prior to this, she served as a trial judge on the Barberton Municipal Court and on the Summit County Common Pleas Court.
Tax Levys
Ballot Issue 8 is a proposal to renew an existing levy in Lorain County to support the Oberlin Public Library. The levy will continue to be 3.25 mills on the dollar, equating to “$66 for each $100,000 of the county auditor’s appraised value.” The issue was on the ballot for some voters last November, however due to an error by the Board of Elections, the results were not certified, and the issue is returning to the ballot this week.
Ballot Issue 11 is a proposal for an additional tax to support the Murray Ridge Center, also known as the Lorain County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The levy would help the center with its operation supporting people with developmental disabilities across the county, at a rate not exceeding .85 mills per dollar.
