Officials anticipate that voter turnout will be low across Ohio. As of Sunday, 1,861 people voted early and 1,737 absentee ballots were submitted, according to the Clark County Board of Elections. In Champaign County, 831 people voted early and 305 absentee ballots were submitted, according to the Champaign County Board of Elections.
While many races will be decided Tuesday, there are some that will not appear on the ballot. Races for State house of representatives, state senate and political party state central committee will not be voted on Tuesday because district maps are still being debated. A second primary election date has not been set.
Below are 10 races to keep an eye on Tuesday.
1) Ohio Democratic Governor Race
Former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley are facing off for the Democratic nomination for governor. Whaley’s running mate is Cheryl Stephens, vice president of Cuyahoga County Council. Cranley’s running mate is State Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo.
Whaley served two four-year terms as a Dayton city commissioner before being elected mayor in 2013 and 2017. Cranley was elected to the Cincinnati City Council and served from 2000 to 2009. Cranley lost two congressional races, but won the Cincinnati mayor’s office in 2013 and was reelected in 2017.
2) Ohio Republican Governor Race
Incumbent Governor Mike Dewine is being challenged by three Republicans in May’s primary: Joe Blystone, Ron Hood and Jim Renacci.
Blystone founded Blystone Farm in 2004. He has never run for office before. His running mate is Marion native and fellow political novice Jeremiah Workman, an author, Marine Corps veteran and former IT worker.
Hood, a Circleville resident, is also running for governor and his running mate is former State Rep. Candice Keller. Hood has won election to the Ohio House, holding a seat southwest of Chillicothe from 1995 to 2000 and 2005 to 2006; and a seat northeast of Chillicothe from 2013 to 2020.
Renacci was on Wadsworth City Council from 1999 to 2003, and was Wadsworth mayor from 2004 to 2008. And he was elected to the U.S. House in 2010, he represented the district southwest of Cleveland until 2019. His running mate is Christian movie producer and motivational speaker Joe Knopp, who has no political experience.
DeWine, a Greene County resident, was an assistant prosecutor in Greene County until his 1976 election as county prosecutor. He has served in the Ohio Senate, U.S. House rep., lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, and Ohio attorney general. His running mate is current Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, who previously served as Ohio’s Secretary of State.
3) U.S. Senate Democratic Race
Three Democrats are running for their party’s nomination in the race for Senate.
Morgan Harper, of Columbus, Traci “TJ” Johnson, of Hilliard, and Tim Ryan, of Turnball County, are running. The winner will square off against the winner of the Republican primary race.
4) U.S. Senate Republican Race
Seven Republicans are running for their party’s nomination in the race for Senate.
Jane Timken, JD Vance, Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Josh Mandel, Neil Patel and Mark Pukita will be on the ballot. The group is vying to replace U.S. Senator Rob Portman, who did not run for reelection.
5) U.S. Congress races
Democrats in the 10th congressional district, Republicans in the eighth congressional district and Democrats in the fourth congressional district will have an opportunity to decide who should represent their party in the race for Congress in November.
Kirk Benjamin, David Esrati, Jeff Hardenbrook, Baxter Stapleton are running to face Mike Turner in November.
6) Republican Secretary of State
Incumbent Secretary of State Frank LaRose is being primaried by challenger John Adams.
The winner of that election will likely face democrat Chelsea Clark, who will be on the Democratic ballot Tuesday but does not have an opponent.
7) Clark County Commission Race
Four Republican candidates are vying to replace longtime Clark County Commissioner Rick Lohnes, who opted not to run for re-election. The four candidates are Rich Holt, New Carlisle Mayor Mike Lowery, William Lindsey and Sasha Rittenhouse.
Holt, a Springfield resident and political consultant, has been on the organizational side of electioneering for years, working with Republican candidates such as Jim Jordan in multiple states to run their campaigns. Holt returned to the area after years of serving in the Army Corps of Engineers and working multiple campaign cycles.
Lowrey, a New Carlisle native, is in his third full-term as mayor and works at Wright-Patt Air Force base. He has done many projects, including efforts to revitalize the city’s pool, the city’s longest-running festival, the Heritage of Flight and the city’s New Year’s Eve event.
Lindsey was first elected as a member of New Carlisle’s city council in 2015, and he also served as the city’s vice-mayor for two years. He has experience with the Vandalia Fire Department and has owned and ran a small business.
Rittenhouse of New Carlisle formerly served as the president of the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association — the first woman to hold the title in the club’s nearly 70-year history. She operates two agricultural businesses with her husband, where she manages payroll and other administrative responsibilities and also cares for cattle.
8) Champaign County Commission Race
Marcia Bailey, David Faulkner and Nino Vitale – all Republicans – are racing against County Commissioner Bob Corbett. No Democrats filed to run for commission.
Corbett has been serving as a Champaign County Commissioner for more than 20 years. Prior to taking on his commission role, he worked at International Harvester for 40 years.
Bailey has worked with numerous county agencies including with the Champaign County Auditor’s Office, working as a deputy auditor for years, working in real estate and bookkeeping, and also with the county’s welfare programming, now the county’s department of job and family services, for nearly 30 years.
Vitale worked as the state representative for District 85 – which includes Champaign, Logan and Shelby counties – for eight years. Before that, he worked in the private-sector for 22 years, and now works at his family’s manufacturing business, Johnson Welded Products Inc., based in Urbana.
Former county commissioner David Faulkner was first elected as a county commissioner in 2012 and was reelected in 2016. He lost the primary election in 2020 to current commissioner Tim Cassady.
9) Clark County Common Pleas Court Judge Race
Republican candidates Brian Driscoll Daniel Harkins and Melissa Tuttle are vying for the seat held by Clark County Common Pleas Judge Richard O’Neill.
Driscoll has worked as an attorney for nearly 20 years and is the assistant prosecuting attorney for the Champaign County Prosecutor’s Office. Before that, he was a Clark County Municipal Court judge, assistant prosecuting attorney for the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for 16, and a general practice attorney for four.
Harkins has been an attorney in Ohio for 37 years, 26 of which have been in Springfield.
Tuttle, who has lived in Springfield her whole life, is the clerk of the Common Pleas Court and is an attorney who has been practicing law for nine years.
Candidate Douglas Rastatter who applied to run is expected to be appointed to run in November for a second judge seat. He was previously running against Robert Lancaster Jr., who withdrew. He grew up in Springfield and has been a judge for 17 years.
Democrat candidate Regina Richards is running unopposed. She has lived and practiced law in Springfield the last eight years.
10) Urbana City Council Race
Candidates Stephanie Truelove, who worked as a nurse for 31 years and an employee of the Champaign County Board of Elections for 12 years, and Holly Curnutte, who works as a risk advisor for State Farm insurance, are running on non-partisan tickets. The winner will complete the term of Richard Ebert, who vacated the seat in September 2021 after accepting a job serving as the Champaign Economic Partnership director.
