ICYMI: “Ohio is Back,” “Democrats in Ohio may have more reason to hope than they’ve had in years”
May 11, 2026
COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Democrats marked the start of the general election with incredible energy and turnout for the Democratic ticket, and Ohioans are hearing about it all around the state – and the country too. Democrats saw the highest turnout in a governor’s race year since 2006 and huge increases in urban and suburban counties. While raw Democratic vote totals were higher in most counties when compared to 2022, raw Republican vote totals were lower in most counties when compared to 2022.
In a cycle where, as Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde made clear, “it just feels like Ohio is back,” read more about how “Ohio Democrats are going to be successful because we have a positive vision to unite Ohioans from all walks of life and all political backgrounds and we have a playbook for success.”
NBC News: ‘Ohio is back’: Both parties navigate competitive midterm races in a forgotten battleground
It has been 20 years since the state last elected a Democrat as governor. And it has been even longer since a Democrat not named Sherrod Brown has won a second election to any nonjudicial statewide office.
But party leaders are daring to be optimistic in 2026, encouraged by polls that show their candidate for governor, physician Amy Acton, running close with newly official Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy. They also scored a recruiting win when Brown launched a comeback Senate bid. Brown won the Democratic nomination Tuesday to face Sen. Jon Husted, the Republican appointed to succeed Vice President JD Vance. Early polls foreshadow a close race in that contest, too.
“It just feels like Ohio is back,” said state Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde, referring to years in wilderness when, except when Brown was on the ballot, both national parties retreated from what was once a fiercely contested battleground.
Alex Triantafilou, the Ohio GOP chair, acknowledged a tough political climate for Republicans this year. President Donald Trump’s job approval ratings have fallen to new lows as he takes the rap for an unpopular war in Iran and rising gas prices that have accelerated frustrations with the economy.
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Just like when Ohio regularly decided presidential elections in past years, its 2026 races have national importance. While the Husted-Brown race could play a role in deciding who controls the Senate next year, several battleground House races could do the same in that tightly divided chamber. And the governorship is a huge prize drawing attention, too.
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Spectrum News: Ohio Democrats respond to May primary results
In low turnout primaries it’s hard to gauge which party has the advantage for November.
But Democrats in Ohio may have more reason to hope than they’ve had in years. Mid-term elections are a referendum on the party and the President in power.
President Trump’s aggregate approval rating is below 40%, according to Cook Political Report. Gas prices are near record levels and inflation remains entrenched, but the Democrats have a popularity problem of their own. A recent survey shows they have a 39% approval rating.
Capital This Week host Curtis Jackson sits down with the Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, Kathleen Clyde, to learn more about her plan for Democrats to return to the governor’s office.
Signal: Ohio Democrats nearly matched GOP primary turnout. Does it matter for November?
Democratic primary turnout rebounds
Democratic turnout in Ohio’s 2026 primary rebounded sharply on Tuesday, nearly matching Republican participation after trailing badly just four years earlier.
791,355 Ohioans requested Democratic ballots for the election, and 817,159 requested Republican ballots. That’s compared to 2022, when more than 1 million Ohioans requested Republican ballots against 540,000 Democratic ones.
The improved Democratic turnout occurred despite the top of the ticket – governor and U.S. Senate – lacking competitive races this year for both parties. Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said that, overall, state Democrats saw their highest turnout in a primary midterm election since 2006 – a year that was a high-water mark for the party.
“I look at the similarities in the cycles. We’re in the second term of an unpopular Republican president,” Clyde said.
Looking at the numbers, Republicans saw ballot requests drop in most counties – with some of the biggest percentage drops happening in large urban counties and western Ohio.
The largest Democratic increases happened in the Columbus and Cincinnati areas – general areas of growth for the party – including in Butler County, where Democratic ballot requests doubled to around 15,000. Democratic requests were down in some areas where the party has struggled, like eastern and western Ohio.
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Statehouse News Bureau: Primary voters have spoken. Now the chairs of Ohio’s major parties are looking to November
With the primary over, the chairs of Ohio’s two major parties know who will be on the ballot in November. The major party leaders are now focusing their messaging on those choices made by primary voters.
Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde said she’s excited about the party’s candidates going into November.
“Ohio Democrats are going to be successful because we have a positive vision to unite Ohioans from all walks of life and all political backgrounds and we have a playbook for success,” Clyde said in an interview.
Clyde said voters are rejecting the current economic climate and are focused on affordability. That, she said, shapes the message of her candidates: “Ohio Democrats are focused on lowering the costs that keep Ohioans up at night, like for housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, childcare, and more.”
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