Ohio: who should earn your vote for Congress in 2026

Opinion · The paper’s scorecard

Ohio: every race for Congress on the 3 November 2026 ballot, and how the candidates measure up against our standards.

Sitting and former members are scored on the same key votes, read from the official House and Senate roll calls; each vote links to the record. Candidates who have never served in Congress have no votes to score, and outside the battlegrounds we have not researched them, so they are marked as not scored. Where only one candidate could be measured, the mark rates that record on its own; it is not a verdict on the opponent. How the marks work · All states

U.S. Senate (special election) R+5

✓ Our pick: Sherrod Brown

A battleground: read our full case, with every source.

District 1 R+1

No mark

Eric Conroy

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Greg Landsman

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 21 key votes · total -1

✗Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (9)

Voted for the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source
Voted for the CLARITY Act, a light-touch rulebook for digital assets. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source

Against us (12)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

District 2 R+21

Leans our way: David Taylor

Jennifer Mazzuckelli

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

Leans our way

David Taylor

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total +1

✓Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted for the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Against us (5)

Voted for a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted against ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source
Voted against the September 2026 resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran. Source

District 3 D+21

No mark

Joyce Beatty

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 25 key votes · total -2

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (11)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the amendment requiring a warrant to search Americans' communications under FISA Section 702 (it failed 212-212). Source

Against us (14)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Cleophus Dulaney

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 4 R+21

✓ Meets our standards: Jim Jordan

Meets our standards

Jim Jordan

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +2

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (17)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (10)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

Joshua Kolasinski

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 5 R+12

Leans our way: Bob Latta

Leans our way

Bob Latta

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +1

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (16)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (11)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

Brian Shaver

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 6 R+17

✓ Meets our standards: Michael Rulli

Elizabeth Kirtley

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

Meets our standards

Michael Rulli

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 10 key votes · total +3

✓Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted for the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Against us (4)

Voted against ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source
Voted against the September 2026 resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran. Source
Voted against the resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities against Venezuela. Source

District 7 R+5

✓ Our pick: Max Miller

Our pick

Max Miller

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 21 key votes · total +3

✓Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (12)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (9)

Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source
Voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source
Voted against the amendment requiring a warrant to search Americans' communications under FISA Section 702 (it failed 212-212). Source

Brian Poindexter

Democrat

No votes in Congress: scored on platform and record, promises at half weight · total +0

✗Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
?Light touch on tech
?Free speech
?No surveillance state
~Home first, open trade
?Checks on power
~Right to bear arms
?Hard on violent crime

With us (1)

His campaign site criticises corporate subsidies: 'When subsidies are discussed, large corporations are first in line,' while working families are asked to sacrifice when deficits come up. Source

Against us (1)

His campaign site defends workplace regulation, saying safety rules 'weren't "red tape"' and that 'calling worker protections "burdensome" ignores the reality of the people doing the work.' Source

District 8 R+8

✓ Meets our standards: Warren Davidson

Meets our standards

Warren Davidson

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +4

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✓Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (21)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (6)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted against ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source

Vanessa Enoch

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 9 R+5

✓ Our pick: Derek Merrin

Marcy Kaptur

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total -2

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (11)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source

Against us (16)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Our pick

Derek Merrin

Republican

No votes in Congress: scored on platform and record, promises at half weight · total +4

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
?Light touch on tech
✓Free speech
?No surveillance state
?Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (16)

Voted Nay on House passage (2019-03-07, 71-27) and on the conference report (2019-04-02, 70-27) of HB 62, the transportation budget whose title says it would 'increase the rate of… motor fuel excise taxes.' Source
Was sole primary sponsor of HB 126 (effective 2022-07-21), which modified property tax complaint law; his campaign describes it as limiting local governments' power to challenge property values to raise property taxes. Source
In his 2024 Ballotpedia survey he wrote: 'I support a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget; America should only spend within our means.' Source

Against us (2)

Voted Yea on HB 6 on House passage (2019-05-29, 53-43) and on concurrence (2019-07-23, 51-38); the energy bill whose title says it is 'to facilitate and continue the development, production, and use of electricity from nuclear, coal, and renewable energy resources' (the nuclear subsidy was repealed in 2021 by HB 128). Source
Voted Nay on the final version of HB 29 (2021-12-08, passed 72-13), the bill 'to legalize and regulate sports gaming' in Ohio. Source

District 10 R+4

✓ Meets our standards: Mike Turner

Kristina Knickerbocker

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

Meets our standards

Mike Turner

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 25 key votes · total +3

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (13)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted for the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Against us (12)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

District 11 D+28

No mark

Shontel Brown

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 26 key votes · total -3

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (10)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the amendment requiring a warrant to search Americans' communications under FISA Section 702 (it failed 212-212). Source

Against us (16)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Mike Kirchner

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 12 R+15

No mark

Troy Balderson

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 24 key votes · total +0

✓Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (13)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for the CLARITY Act, a light-touch rulebook for digital assets. Source

Against us (11)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

Jerrad Christian

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 13 D+2

No mark

Carey Coleman

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Emilia Sykes

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 20 key votes · total -6

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
~No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, barring agencies from buying Americans' data without a warrant. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source

Against us (14)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

District 14 R+10

✓ Meets our standards: David Joyce

Meets our standards

David Joyce

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +3

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (15)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (12)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source
Voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source

Maria Jukic

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 15 R+5

✓ Meets our standards: Mike Carey

Meets our standards

Mike Carey

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 25 key votes · total +4

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
~No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (16)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Against us (9)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source
Voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source

Don Leonard

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

Photo credits. Official congressional portraits are works of the U.S. government and in the public domain. Others:

Derek Merrin: SchOg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (file, licence)