Here are the candidates running for statewide office

Ohioans will vote for a new governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, and treasurer this November. Ohio Supreme Court seats and a highly competitive congressional race are also among those to appear on the ballot. A primary election in May will decide the final lineup for the end-of-the-year ballot. All current statewide executive office-holders are term-limited, meaning they are unable to run for the same office again. Ohio's candidate filing deadline was Wednesday and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office released the list of candidates running in the state. Voters will first see a primary election on May 5, before the general election on Nov. 3. Governor Ohio's governor race is projected to become one of, if not the most expensive in state history. Former Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton is running as a Democratic candidate with David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democrats, as her running mate. Entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is running as a Republican with Ohio Senate President Rob McColley as his running mate. Casey Putsch, founder of the nonprofit Genius Garage car charity, is running as a Republican with Kimberly Georgeton as his running mate. Appalachian businesswoman Heather Hill is running as a Republican with Stuart Moats as her running mate. Entrepreneur Renea Turner is running as a Republican with Jalen Turner as her running mate. She made headlines in 2020 after being accused of attempting a citizen's arrest of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Running under the Libertarian banner, a former Honda worker, Donald Kissick, is running with James Mills as his running mate. U.S. Senate Incumbent Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted is running for re-election. Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is running as a Democratic candidate. Also in the running on the Democratic side is Ron Kincaid, a volunteer Special Olympics coach. Jeffrey Kanter and William Redpath are running as Libertarian candidates. Brown is considered the front-runner for the Democrats against Husted, and is currently outpacing the incumbent senator in fundraising. Who is running for attorney general? Current Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber is running as a Republican. Former Democratic state Rep. Elliot Forhan is running as Democratic candidate. John Kulewicz, a retired attorney and Upper Arlington City Council member, is running as a Democratic candidate. Auditor Current Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running as a Republican. Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell is running as the Democratic candidate. Secretary of State Current Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running as a Republican. Ohio state Rep. Allison Russo is running as a Democratic candidate. Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is also running as a Democratic candidate. Also in the Republican field is Retired Air Force intel officer Marcell Strbich. 2024 congressional candidate Tom Pruss is running as a Libertarian. State Treasurer State Sen. Kristina Roegner is running as a Republican. Former state Rep. Jay Edwards is also running as a Republican. Cincinnati City Councilmember Seth Walsh is running on the Democratic ticket. The Ohio Supreme Court Two Ohio Supreme Court races will be on the 2026 ballot. Democratic Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner is up for reelection as currently the only Democrat elected to a top government office in the state. A handful of Republican candidates are challenging Brunner's seat: Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge Andrew King, State Appellate Judge Jill Lanzinger, Second District Court of Appeals Judge Ron Lewis, and former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Colleen O'Donnell. Brunner is the only Democratic judge on the 6-1 Ohio Supreme Court. Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justice Dan Hawkins is up for reelection against Democratic candidate First District Court of Appeals Judge Marilyn Zayas. The last time a Democratic candidate won any of Ohio statewide executive offices was back in 2006 when Ted Strickland was elected governor, Marc Dann was elected attorney general, Richard Cordray was elected treasurer, and Brunner was elected secretary of state. Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. Read more Ohio news and commentary at ohiocapitaljournal.com.