2026 Ohio Secretary of State election
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November 3, 2026
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| Elections in Ohio |
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The 2026 Ohio Secretary of State election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the Secretary of State of Ohio. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election. He is running for State Auditor of Ohio.[1]
Candidates
Declared
- Robert Sprague, Ohio State Treasurer (2019–present) (previously ran for governor)[2]
- Marcell Strbich, retired Air Force officer and combat veteran[3]
Withdrawn
- Niraj Antani, former state senator (2021–2024), former state representative (2014–2020), and candidate for Ohio's 2nd congressional district in 2024 (ran for state treasurer)[4]
Declined
- Jay Edwards, former state representative from the 94th district (2017–2025) (running for state treasurer)[5]
Endorsements
Robert Sprague
- Labor unions
Marcell Strbich
- Executive branch officials
- Michael Flynn, former United States National Security Advisor (2017)[a][7]
Declined to endorse
- Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Robert Sprague |
Marcell Strbich |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| co/efficient (R)[9] | January 20–22, 2026 | 819 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 4% | 12% | 84% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Sprague | |||
| Republican | Marcell Strbich | |||
| Total votes | 100.00 | |||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Bryan Hambley, oncologist at UC Health[10]
- Allison Russo, former minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives (2022–2025) and nominee for Ohio's 15th congressional district in 2021[11]
Endorsements
Bryan Hambley
- U.S. Representatives
- Mary Jo Kilroy, former OH-15 (2009 - 2011)[12]
- Statewide officials
- Dick Celeste, former governor of Ohio (1983–1991)[13]
- State legislators
- Nickie Antonio, Senate Minority Leader from SD-23 (2019–present)[13]
- Local officials
- Stephanie Howse-Jones, Cleveland City Council Ward 7 (2022–present)[13]
- Tony Cuda, former interim Mayor Cleveland Heights (2025), President of Cleveland Heights Council (2022–present)[14]
- Political parties
Allison Russo
- Organizations
- Labor unions
- Greater Cincinnati Building and Construction Trades Council [19]
- Ohio Education Association[13]
- Newspapers
Declined to endorse
- Political parties
Fundraising
Italics indicate a withdrawn candidate.
| Campaign finance reports as of January 30, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Brian Hambley (D) | $886,244[c] | $175,480 | $545,918 |
| Allison Russo (D) | $367,725 | $175,773 | $192,458 |
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State[21][22] | |||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bryan Hambley | |||
| Democratic | Allison Russo | |||
| Total votes | 100.00 | |||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Declared
- Tom Pruss, small business owner and nominee for Ohio's 9th congressional district in 2024[23]
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[24] | Likely R | August 7, 2025 |