2026 US House races in Northeast Ohio for the November election: What you need to know about the candidates running for Congress
- Ohio's midterm elections feature significant tossup districts in Northeast Ohio, with newly drawn House district maps potentially giving advantages to both Republicans and Democrats.
During these midterm elections , all eyes are focused on the U.S. House of Representatives, with Democrats attempting to wrestle back control from Republicans after four years in the minority. Northeast Ohio could be at the center of that battle, with a pair of significant tossup districts and others that could come into play depending on how the political winds shift before November.
For the third straight election cycle, Ohio will have 15 seats in Congress — the state's smallest delegation since before the Civil War. However, 2026 will see the state utilize newly drawn House district maps following a last-minute agreement between Democrats and the Ohio General Assembly's Republican supermajority.
Analysts say the new maps could give the GOP a greater advantage in two crucial districts and Dems a boost in two others, with the remaining 11 considered heavily partisan. Still, with President Donald Trump's approval rating still sitting in the low 30s and the party occupying the White House historically underperforming in the midterms, it could be tough to determine what swing voters will do.
Here are the candidates battling to represent Northeast Ohio in Congress, in numerical order by district and with some quotes from their campaign or official websites.
4TH DISTRICT
The 4th gave up most of its remaining territory in Northeast Ohio and now includes only the southern portion of Richland County within its west-central boundaries. Trump-endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan , the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, has held the seat since 2007 and ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Jordan will actually have two challengers in November. The Democratic nominee is Joshua Kolasinski , owner of FlexBiomedical LLC in Delaware, Ohio, near Columbus.
"I'm running for Congress because everyone in our district deserves to live a life where housing, gas, healthcare, education, and food are affordable," Kolasinski says. "You can be sure that I'll be free from the influence of the Washington elite and billionaire class who do not understand or care about what we need in the Fourth Congressional District of Ohio."
In addition, Assistant Springfield Mayor Tracey Tackett is running as an independent "voice for the middle," and also hails from a city that has seen itself thrust into the national spotlight due to its robust population of Haitian immigrants and the Trump administration's express desire to deport many of them. She has the support of the United Auto Workers' combined Ohio/Indiana region as well as the Forward Party, a centrist group founded by former Republican New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and ex-Democratic Presidential candidate Andrew Yang, among others.
"I am running to be a Representative, not of a party but of the district, of the people, of Ohio," Tackett writes. "My goal and my drive as a public servant and citizen is to solve problems, deliver results, and carry forward the American experiment."
Tamie Wilson previously qualified as an independent after going up against Jordan as a Democrat in both 2022 and '24, but later dropped out before the final deadline.
5TH DISTRICT
Incumbent Rep. Bob Latta , chair of the House Subcommittee on Energy, has held the seat since 2007. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary with Trump's support, and thanks to redistricting since 2020, his area now includes all of Huron and Lorain counties as well as the northern part of Richland County.
The Democratic primary was hotly contested, but in the end, Fostoria City Council President Brian Shaver earned a narrow victory over three other candidates.
"If elected to Congress, Brian seeks to restore the meaning of 'We the People' in our federal government," his website reads. "He advocates for reforms such as campaign finance limits, term limits, stronger checks and balances, transparency in legislation, and clear guardrails to prevent elected officials from profiting from their positions."
In addition, Michael Veloff is running as the Libertarian Party nominee with the slogan "Drunk Uncle for Congress." He also has the backing of the United States Pirate Party, which supports reformed copyright laws and higher government transparency.
6TH DISTRICT
Under the new maps, this district now includes all of Carroll and Tuscarawas counties as well as most of Stark County, the majority of southern and eastern Wayne County, and the far-east portion of Holmes County.
Following Bill Johnson's resignation to become president of Youngstown State University, Michael Rulli earned the seat via special election in 2024 before winning a full term in November with nearly two-thirds of the vote. Trump has endorsed Rulli for reelection, and the incumbent defeated Dellroy Church of the Nazarene Senior Pastor Jullie Kelley in the GOP primary. He also has the support of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters.
"I am unwavering in my commitment to an America First policy across every level of government," Rep. Rulli writes. "I oppose endless foreign wars, job offshoring, and policies that prioritize others over our own citizens. Securing our borders and ending illegal immigration are non-negotiable."
On the Democratic side, Elizabeth Kirtley emerged victorious, beating out Working Families Party-backed Adrian Vitus along with five other competitors. The New Philadelphia native describes herself as a writer and digital creator, and among her chief priorities is calling for the abolition of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
7TH DISTRICT
This district had already included all of Medina County and much of suburban Cuyahoga County, but now also encompasses all of Ashland County as well as most of northern Wayne County. It surrendered its remaining Wayne County territory in the latest round of redistricting, along with the northern tip of Holmes County.
Once thought to be reliably red, the 7th District has since become Ohio's most compelling tossup, with politics themselves often taking a backseat.
Republican Rep. Max Miller is seeking a third term, and once again has the support of his former West Wing boss Trump. However, he has been dogged by accusations of domestic violence made against him by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, which led to calls from both of Ohio's Republican U.S. senators (including Moreno's father) for Miller to exit the race. Miller declined to do so before the legally mandated deadline, and has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
A crowded Democratic primary featured eight names, including Former Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald in an attempt at a political comeback. However, it was Brook Park City Councilman Brian Poindexter who came away victorious, fresh off a campaign appearance with progressive Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in Parma Heights. Poindexter is also backed by the Working Families Party, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and various high-profile labor unions.
9TH DISTRICT
Another tight congressional race could be in District 9, which still includes all of Erie County. Rep. Marcy Kaptur is the longest-serving congresswoman in U.S. history, but the Democrat barely hung on to her seat in 2024, edging out state Rep. Derek Merrin by less than 3,000 votes in an area that backed Trump by seven points.
The headwinds are only getting stronger for Kaptur, for as part of last year's redistricting deal, the new 9th District was drawn even more to favor Republicans. Kaptur, a longtime critic of political gerrymandering, blasted the new boundaries but vowed to run for a 23rd term. She has the backing of Ohio's Teamsters as well as with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Now gone from the Ohio House of Representatives, the Trump-endorsed Merrin will get his desired rematch with Kaptur after fending off a slew of big-name opponents for the GOP nomination:
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Former ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan
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State Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township)
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Anthony Campbell, vice president of data science and analytics for NOMS Healthcare
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Air National Guard Lt. Col. Alea Nadeem
Matthew Althaus had won the Libertarian primary, but later dropped out, and the party will have no named candidate on the ballot.
RELATED: Kaptur vs. Merrin: What voters should know about Ohio's 9th Congressional District race
11TH DISTRICT
Thought to be the most partisan district in Ohio, the 11th encompasses all of Cleveland proper and several of its surrounding suburbs in Cuyahoga County. Rep. Shontel Brown is seeking a third full term in Congress, and easily defeated DigitalC tech fellow Sean Freeman and community activist Ardelia Holmes in the Democratic primary. She, too, has the support of Ohio's Teamsters along with Planned Parenthood and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Brown's Republican opponent will be retired consulting actuary Mike Kirchner , who cruised past general contractor James Hemphill for his party's nomination.
12TH DISTRICT
Another deep red district, the 12th includes the central and western portions of Holmes County. Trump has endorsed Republican Rep. Troy Balderson as he seeks his fifth full term.
"In Congress, I am fighting alongside the Trump Administration to ratchet back Biden Administration's job-killing policies, pump the brakes on inflation, and shine a light on common sense," Balderson says.
Balderson defeated software engineer and Navy veteran Jerrad Christian by more than 30 points in 2024, and Christian will be the nominee once again in 2026.
"I'm running a grassroots campaign to unseat Rep. Troy Balderson, a Republican who consistently votes in support of lobbying groups, super PACs, and his billionaire donors," Christian writes. "It's time to give power back to Ohio's working class."
13TH DISTRICT
When it was redrawn to include all of Summit County and the northwest portion of Stark County, the 13th instantly became an important swing district. This was evidenced just two years ago, when incumbent Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes won reelection by less than three points over former Republican state Sen. Kevin Coughlin.
Sykes is seeking a third term, but this time, the boundaries are different yet again, with the district losing much of its Stark County territory outside Canton and gaining a sliver of the western edge of Portage County. Though it could still be within striking distance for Republicans, the redraw is seen as favoring Democrats, so much so that both Coughlin and Springfield Township Trustee Jeremy Caudill decided to bow out before the filing deadline.
In their place were five lesser-known GOP candidates, and rising to the top was former radio host and meteorologist Carey Coleman — the only one of the five to earn at least 20 points in the primary. Coleman's television career included stints forecasting the weather right here on 3News, and he counts legendary Browns nose tackle Bob Golic among his supporters.
Like Brown, Sykes has the backing of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, AIPAC, and Planned Parenthood. She currently serves as vice ranking member for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
14TH DISTRICT
The 14th is largely unchanged from the last round of redistricting, retaining all of Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties as well as Trumbull County. It did, however, lose a small part of its territory in Portage County and pick up some in Mahoning, new boundaries that could give it even more of a Republican edge than it already possessed.
Rep. Dave Joyce has the backing of both Trump and the Ohio Teamsters as he seeks his eighth term in office, and took care of conservative former Trumbull County Commissioner Niki Frenchko in the GOP primary. He currently serves as chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and has long touted his work in cleaning up Lake Erie and its surrounding bodies of water.
"Dave has time and again stood in the public arena as a voice for our Great Lakes," Joyce's website notes. "Dave has reached across the aisle to work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure the greatest environmental and economic treasure in our region has the resources its need to be viable today and in the future. His Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Legislation was folded into the Water Resources Development Act and signed into law by President Obama."
Joyce's general election opponent will be former Euclid City Councilwoman Maria Jukic , who earned the Democratic nomination over ex-Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill as she hopes for a November upset.
"From the lakeshore to the farmland, the people of this district want the same basic things. Affordable healthcare. A secure retirement. A government that plays by the same rules it asks everyone else to follow," Jukic's website reads. "That's the Massive Middle. Union card or business license. Paycheck or pension. Maria is running for all of it."
