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“Democratic turnout surged despite there being no competitive races at the top of the ticket, a sign of high enthusiasm among these voters” 

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohioans are turning out in record numbers to vote for Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections with not only Republican turnout down in Ohio and Democratic turnout up, but unaffiliated voters also choosing Democratic ballots far more often than Republican ones, according to recent reporting. While Democratic turnout surged in the May primary election despite there being no competitive races at the top of the ticket, Ohio Republicans saw glaring warning signs with turnout down as they are forced to defend their devastating economic policies like the reckless war with Iran, gutting healthcare to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and corporate special interests, and raising grocery prices.

This comes as Democratic turnout increased throughout the state as “the number of Democratic votes cast exceeded the number of previously registered Democrats in 49 of Ohio’s 88 counties,” while “Republican votes didn’t exceed the number of previously registered Republicans in any county.” Cuyahoga County also emphasized a stark reality for Republicans as “Democratic turnout was up in 56 of 59 of the county’s communities compared to the 2022 primary election,” while “Republican turnout fell in all but three Cuyahoga County communities.”​​

Read more about the warning signs for Republicans in Ohio and the great energy around Ohio Democrats this year: 

Signal Ohio: Why Ohio Democrats nearly caught Republicans in primary election turnout 

• In the May 5 primary election, 907,273 Ohioans requested Republican ballots while 815,922 requested Democratic ballots, according to the official count from the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. 
• This was a dramatic change from the 2022 primary election, when Ohioans cast roughly 1.1 million Republican ballots, double the roughly 540,000 ballots that Democrats cast that year. 
• A Signal Statewide analysis found the shift was driven by two main forces: Republican-affiliated voters turning out at lower rates than their Democratic counterparts, and previously unaffiliated voters choosing Democratic ballots far more often than Republican ones.
• Democratic turnout surged despite there being no competitive races at the top of the ticket, a sign of high enthusiasm among these voters. Governor candidate Dr. Amy Acton had no primary opponent while Senate candidate Sherrod Brown only had a nominal one. There were similarly no competitive races at the top of the Republican ticket, which was a sharp contrast from 2022, when GOP voters decided a hotly contested U.S. Senate primary and a crowded governor’s race. 
• Political analysts traditionally caution against reading too much into primary election turnout. But there are other signs Democrats are highly engaged in what could be a good political year for their party, if for no other reason than the traditional backlash that occurs against the party that controls the White House. 
• “It’s one signal in part of a greater trend that we’re seeing,” said Alex Lisner, chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party. “And it’s something that I hope we can carry over into November.”
• First, on the Republican side: the main reason for the drop in turnout compared to the 2022 primary is the larger share of registered Republicans who opted to stay home. 
• Republican turnout also was soft in Ohio’s largest counties, which are home to many GOP voters even though Democrats regularly win them comfortably overall. Cuyahoga, Summit and Franklin all fell in the bottom half of Republican turnout rates.
• Meanwhile, voters cast 815,922 Democratic ballots in May – which is nearly 36,000 more ballots than there were registered Democrats heading into the election. 
• The reason? The support Democrats got from the pool of 5.7 million unaffiliated voters. These voters are a mix of people who’d previously voted in a partisan primary but not recently, and those who have never voted in a partisan primary election at all. 
• These new – or at least previously unengaged – Democrats were especially concentrated in some key areas for the party: the Cleveland/Akron area (Cuyahoga, Lorain, Lake, Portage and Summit counties), Cincinnati (Hamilton County) and Columbus (Franklin and Fairfield counties). 
• As a result, the number of Democratic votes cast exceeded the number of previously registered Democrats in 49 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Republican votes didn’t exceed the number of previously registered Republicans in any county.  
• Cuyahoga County, a Democratic Party stronghold that has seen a long-term trend of falling voter turnout, shows how the statewide pattern played out on a community level.
• Democratic turnout was up in 56 of 59 of the county’s communities compared to the 2022 primary election. The three where it fell were eastern suburbs: Highland Hills (down four votes), University Heights (down 50 votes) and Beachwood (down 231 votes).
• Republican turnout fell in all but three Cuyahoga County communities – Independence voters cast 601 more Republican ballots than four years before, and voters in Newburgh Heights cast four additional votes while GOP voting in Linndale was unchanged.
• Overall, 40,262 more Democratic ballots were cast in Cuyahoga County compared to four years earlier, while voters cast 17,729 fewer Republican ones.
• All told, the county saw the number of registered Democrats rise from 137,865 to 182,112. The 44,003-voter registration increase was the largest Cuyahoga County Democrats have seen for a primary midterm election since at least 2014.
• David Brock, chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, said this was the first time that the party saw increased registration for years. He also said more Democrats voted in the May primary in Cuyahoga County than in the primary elections in 2018, 2022 or 2024. (Records show Democratic turnout in May was about 300 votes higher than in 2018, and well above those other years.)
• The increase in turnout came as the local party emphasized getting out the vote, Brock said, which included following up with voters who requested mail-in ballots to make sure they submitted them.
• “I think this bodes well for November in this county,” Brock said.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Ahead of the one year anniversary of President Trump signing Washington Republicans’ budget bill into law, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde issued the following statement on the devastating impact this bill continues to have on Ohio families:

“Donald Trump promised Ohioans that he would lower costs on ‘day one,’ and while he breaks that promise every day, perhaps no example of this is more clear than with his signing of Washington Republicans’ budget bill which ripped healthcare and SNAP food assistance from Ohio families and raised costs for everyone.

“At a time when families are struggling in every corner of our state, Ohioans deserve leaders who will make their lives better, not worse – and Republicans are showing every day that they aren’t those leaders. While Ohio Republicans are left to own the President’s broken promises and their continued championing of a deeply unpopular economic agenda, Ohio Democrats are running on creating a government that delivers for working families. In November, Ohioans of all political backgrounds are going to hold Ohio Republicans in Washington and Columbus accountable for raising costs by electing Ohio Democrats up and down the ballot who will get our state and country back on track.”

Ohioans are continuing to speak out against Republicans in Washington – like Mike Turner, Mike Carey, and Max Miller – for voting to gut the Medicaid and SNAP food assistance that Ohio families rely on. New analysis emphasized recently that under Republicans’ spending bill, Ohio will lose more than 50,000 jobs – the eighth most jobs lost of any state in the country – and more than $5B from the state economy by 2029. This analysis also made clear that while Trump and Washington Republicans are implementing massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance, and costing Ohio billions in federal funding, “Trump’s signature law gave huge tax cuts to the richest Americans.” Additional reporting has emphasized the strain this bill will have on Ohioans’ healthcare specifically, stating that, “recent cuts in funding from Ohio’s Medicaid budget will force more than a half a million Ohioans off the program in the next decade and threaten the closure of 31 hospitals and clinics in Ohio.” 

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COLUMBUS, OH – New reporting is once again detailing the stark reality facing Ohio families as they have paid approximately “$2,175 more for gas, utilities and groceries and thousands of dollars more in health insurance premiums for those on the ACA marketplace since January 2025 due to federal policies enacted during President Donald Trump’s second term.” This new analysis from the Center for American Progress Action Fund is also slamming Republicans in Washington, like Max Miller, Mike Turner and Mike Carey, saying “Congress voted to let the costs fall on their constituents.”

“This report highlights what Ohio families already know: Trump has not only failed to bring down prices for Ohioans, he has made essentials like food, utilities, and healthcare more expensive,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “While Trump and his friends keep lining their own pockets and pushing for deeply unpopular policies, like their tariffs, reckless war with Iran, and devastating healthcare cuts, Ohioans are fed up – and they’re going to hold Republicans accountable for it in November.” 

While Trump has admitted that he doesn’t think about the financial pain Americans are feeling under his economy, read more about how Trump and Washington Republicans’ economic policies are hurting Ohio families:

Cleveland.com: Trump policies have cost Ohio households thousands since January 2025, report finds

• Ohio families have paid approximately $2,175 more for gas, utilities and groceries and thousands of dollars more in health insurance premiums for those on the ACA marketplace since January 2025 due to federal policies enacted during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
• The analysis places Ohio 13th among all states for increases in total household costs, with the higher end of the range applying to families who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
• The report attributes the cost increases to four key policy decisions: the war with Iran that drove up gas prices, cuts to clean energy investments, which led to higher utility bills, blanket tariffs that increased prices on imported goods, and the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits.
• Ohio households have spent an additional $270 on gasoline through June 30 since the U.S. began military action against Iran on Feb. 28, according to data from Brown University’s Climate Solutions Lab, cited in the report.
• Ohioans are also paying hundreds more in higher utility costs, with households in the top ten states paying an additional $395 on average through June, the report found. That figure could increase by more than 25% by year’s end.
• The average American household paid approximately $1,574 more through June for goods affected by Trump administration tariffs, according to the report’s analysis of U.S. Customs data and estimates from the Yale Budget Lab.
• For the millions of Americans who purchase health insurance through ACA marketplaces, premiums increased sharply after enhanced premium tax credits expired on Dec. 31, 2025.
• In Ohio, a family of four with two 45-year-old adults and two children earning $66,000 annually now pays approximately $3,688 more for coverage through June, with that figure projected to reach more than $6,000 for the full year.
• By the end of 2026, the report projects Ohio households will have paid $3,300 in additional costs for gas, utilities and tariffs. For families purchasing ACA marketplace coverage, the total reaches $6,325 when increased premiums are included.
• The rising costs borne by Ohio families and Americans nationwide stand in sharp contrast to President Trump’s personal financial fortunes during the same period. 
• Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure forms, released in May 2026, showed his reported income soared to more than $2.2 billion in 2025—nearly four times his reported income the previous year, according to The Washington Post.
   

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COLUMBUS, OH – Today, the Ohio Democratic Party announced that U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) will be joining Democratic leaders up and down the ballot for Ohio Democrats’ annual dinner on August 1. This year’s dinner will be themed, “Ohio on the Rise,” and feature Sherrod Brown and Dr. Amy Acton in addition to state and local leaders from throughout Ohio.

“Ohio Democrats are proud to welcome Sen. Mark Kelly to our Ohio on the Rise Annual Dinner,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde. “From serving our country in uniform to commanding missions in space, Sen. Kelly has dedicated his life to service and leadership. He understands that families are looking for leaders who will lower costs, protect freedoms, and deliver results. We’re honored to have him join us as we continue bringing together Ohioans of all political backgrounds behind our Democratic ticket. Together, we have a clear trajectory toward victory in November.”

“It’s great to be joining Ohio Democrats ahead of such a critical election, and to be supporting strong candidates like Sherrod Brown and leaders up and down the ballot who are laser-focused on lowering costs as many Ohio families – and families throughout the country – are struggling to make ends meet,” said Senator Mark Kelly. “At a time when we’re seeing Washington Republicans and this Administration raising costs at every turn and attacking our freedoms, Ohioans are ready to send a message in November by electing Democratic leaders to help turn Ohio and our country around.”

Additional information will be made available ahead of the Ohio on the Rise dinner in Columbus.

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