.@POTUS: "Honoring the British King might seem an ironic beginning to our celebration of 250 years of American independence — but in fact, no tribute could be more appropriate. Long before Americans had a nation or Constitution, we first had a culture, a character, and a creed. Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rarest of gifts: moral courage, and it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea."
As of today's 4 p.m. deadline for protests against partisan candidates’ petitions, our office has received two formal requests for a protest hearing, one challenging the candidacy of Jeffery Kanter, Libertarian candidate for United States Senate, and another challenging the denial of candidacy of Renea Turner, Republican for Governor.
The following candidates (listed alphabetically by name) met the minimum signature requirements to qualify for the May 5, 2026 primary election ballot. The Secretary of State’s official certification of the candidates below will occur on February 24, 2026:
United States Senator:
Sherrod Brown (D)
Jon Husted (R)
Jeffrey M. Kanter (L)
Ron Kincaid (D)
William B. Redpath (L)
Governor and Lieutenant Governor:
Amy Acton, David Pepper (D)
Heather Hill, Stuart Moats (R)
Don Kissick, James L. Mills (L)
Casey Putsch, Kimberly C. Georgeton (R)
Vivek Ramaswamy, Robert A. McColley (R)
Attorney General:
Keith Faber (R)
Elliott Forhan (D)
John J. Kulewicz (D)
Secretary of State:
Bryan Hambley (D)
Tom Pruss (L)
Allison Russo (D)
Robert Sprague (R)
Marcell Strbich (R)
Auditor of State:
Annette Blackwell (D)
Frank LaRose (R)
Treasurer of State:
Jay Edwards (R)
Kristina D. Roegner (R)
Seth Walsh (D)
Justice of the Supreme Court – Full Term Commencing 01/01/2027:
Daniel R. Hawkins (R)
Marilyn Zayas (D)
Justice of the Supreme Court – Full Term Commencing 01/02/2027:
Jennifer Brunner (D)
Andrew King (R)
Jill Lanzinger (R)
Ronald Lewis (R)
Colleen O'Donnell (R)
.@BenSasse reflects on “redeeming the time” — holding ambition lightly, loving family more deliberately, and resisting the urge to make politics or professional success the center of life. | Uncommon Knowledge with @p_m_robinson
https://t.co/ra9DQ8nP4t
I was impressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio's speech at the Munich Security Conference. He indeed addressed a number of particular political issues, but what most grabbed my attention was his stress on the common culture that unites Europe and America. He cited Dante, Shakespeare, the Sistine Chapel, Cologne Cathedral—even the Beatles as expressions of basic cultural intuitions that still inform the West. But he pressed the matter further, insisting, in the spirit of both Christopher Dawson and Pope Benedict XVI, that that culture is grounded ultimately in the Christian faith. It is simply the case that reverence for the dignity of the individual, for human rights, for political freedom, and for equality comes, in the final analysis, from the Christian Gospel. Basic to his presentation was the conviction that Europe and America will truly flourish when each re-discovers its spiritual mooring.
Today, Ohio Secretary of State @FrankLaRose announced the candidates who filed petitions for statewide office prior to today's 4 p.m. deadline.
Find the full list here: https://t.co/tjXkozrSlJ
The following candidates have filed petitions for statewide office to date, with more expected before the February 4 deadline:
Sherrod Brown (D for Senate)
Jon Husted (R for Senate)
Keith Faber (R for Attorney General)
John Kulewicz (D for Attorney General)
Brian Hambley (D for Secretary of State)
Marcell Strbich (R for Secretary of State)
Marilyn Zayas (D for Supreme Court of Ohio)
Our office has scheduled an upcoming filing time with the following candidates:
Amy Acton (D for Governor)
Vivek Ramaswamy (R for Governor)
Frank LaRose (R for Auditor of State)
Allison Russo (D for Secretary of State)
Robert Sprague (R for Secretary of State)
Dan Hawkins (R for Supreme Court of Ohio)
I’ve met lots of ‘em and I can tell you, they don’t come any better than @FrankLaRose. A patriot, consummate team player, and warrior for our party, our state, and America. Thank you Frank LaRose! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I’ve seen some commentary about Ohio’s new congressional map from people who 1) don’t live in Ohio, and/or 2) haven’t read the Ohio Constitution. So, let’s talk:
1. The map approved by the Redistricting Commission today favors Republicans in 12 seats of the 15 seats vs. the 10 we have today. In a really good year, we could get to 13. Voters decide who goes to Congress. We need good GOP candidates. We need to run good campaigns. But we should have 12 seats in 2026. A net pickup of 2. Period.
2. Ohio voters overwhelmingly amended our state constitution in 2018 to create a process that effectively mandates 2 very blue seats in Franklin and Cuyahoga counties. So, a 15-0 map was never remotely realistic here. 13-2 is the most that’s actually feasible, even that’s a big stretch, and a 13-2 map would require multiple, marginal toss-up seats.
3. If the Redistricting Commission did not come to a bipartisan deal, and the legislature did a 13-2 map, that map would very likely be subject to referendum. Even if the referendum ultimately failed, the state constitution says we’d be stuck with the current 10R-5D map for 2026 if Democrats gather enough signatures to put the question on the ballot. That means for the remainder of President Trump’s term, we would have zero R pick up opportunities. Instead, with this map (and no referendum), we get 2.
4. Every savvy GOP campaign professional understood these unique variables, and the corresponding risks & rewards. No one who knows what they’re talking about opposed the map.
5. It’s time to recruit great candidates, run good campaigns, and win.
6. Thanks to Speaker Huffman & my colleagues for the opportunity to work on this important project as the Republican Co-Chair of the Redistricting Commission.
Election Day is a no-fail mission, and Ohio does it right. When inevitable issues arose, our preparation paid off and resilient readiness prevented those issues from becoming showstoppers. That's why '24 was Ohio's smoothest election ever!
https://t.co/iVBBkKQ0pa
Every kind word said about Jo Ann Davidson is true and well deserved. Fearless. Confident. Intelligent. Witty. Gracious. Trailblazer. Legend. There isn't enough praise for someone of her stature. I respected and admired her greatly. Godspeed, Madam Speaker.
Not that facts matter _at all_ for stuff like this but:
1. Ohio elections are run locally
2. LaRose fired a GOP elections leader in the county where this happened for incompetence
3. The Ohio Supreme Court overruled him
4. Kari Lake endorsed that GOP leader for Ohio GOP chair
We welcomed @FrankLaRose to last week’s Election Integrity Roundtable—now he’s back in Ohio working to restore voter confidence! The Election Integrity Caucus will continue to drive the conversation around commonsense reforms to secure our elections.
https://t.co/1v9sxMRrJI
We were thrilled to have Ohio Secretary of State @FrankLaRose visit us at UC Medical Center today!
It was an honor to introduce him to our C-STARS program and the great military partnerships that are happening here every day.
Ohio is getting noticed for our innovative efforts to secure elections…
“Already, other states are seeking to copy Ohio’s model as they race to catch up with the threat of ransomware hacks, election interference, and other punishing cyberattacks...”
https://t.co/tMIvD6Jdcg
Really interesting directive from @SecLaRoseComms to Ohio counties announcing a series of (actual!) election security measures, including a requirement to add cyber provisions to vendor contracts. I wonder when we will see more states follow suit. https://t.co/FayR8Htuzl