After bitter defeats last year, Ohio Democrats are biding time as GOP moves full swing into 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The archetypal tv ads dropped this week successful the Ohio governor's contention that's inactive much than a twelvemonth off. The aboriginal onslaught by a ace PAC allied with Trump-backed gubernatorial campaigner Vivek Ramaswamy drove location however rapidly the erstwhile bellwether authorities 's ruling Republicans are seizing the spotlight and staking claims to 5 statewide enforcement offices that are opening successful 2026.

All that urgency begs a question: Where are Ohio Democrats?

Fresh disconnected a brace of hard losses past twelvemonth — the bitter decision of three-term U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown to Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno, and the rejection by voters of the anti-gerrymandering amendment known arsenic Issue 1 — the party's efforts astatine gathering thing adjacent to a winning 2026 summons person truthful acold been muted, and for some, moving excessively slowly.

Dr. Amy Acton, the erstwhile authorities wellness manager who helped usher Ohio done the aboriginal days of the pandemic, is moving for politician arsenic a Democrat — methodically gathering fiscal enactment and a statewide campaign. Though she gained designation appearing connected regular COVID-19 briefings that aired statewide successful aboriginal 2020, Acton besides is simply a newcomer to authorities who lacks the governmental mightiness of idiosyncratic similar Brown, who earlier past twelvemonth had reliably won statewide victories going backmost decades.

Meanwhile, lone 2 different Democrats — southwest Ohio oncologist and first-time campaigner Brian Hambley for caput of state, and tainted erstwhile authorities Rep. Elliot Forhan for lawyer wide — person launched campaigns.

The deficiency of enactment accompanies Democrats’ broader struggles nationally to coalesce astir a strategy for countering actions by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and their Republican allies successful Congress. The statement implicit however to respond has divided enactment leaders, with immoderate advocating for lying debased — adjacent arsenic crowds of aggravated citizens throng legislature municipality halls, clog Capitol Hill telephone lines and signifier protests and marches successful the streets. Others privation to spot the enactment combat November’s bitter defeats astatine some the nationalist and authorities levels much strenuously.

“People are being quiescent close present and benignant of circling the wagons and benignant of trying to fig retired however to respond,” said Dr. J. Cherie Strachan, manager of the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

As helium exited the Senate successful December, Brown vowed he'd beryllium getting backmost to authorities successful immoderate way. That imaginable is among reasons that different aspiring Ohio Democrats are biding their time, according to respective enactment insiders granted anonymity to sermon interior deliberations. Others accidental it's Republicans who are starting excessively early, not Democrats who are late.

It's unclear if Brown volition run, and, if helium does, what bureau helium mightiness seek. It could beryllium the governorship, mounting up a contested superior with Acton. It could beryllium the U.S. Senate spot formerly held by Vice President JD Vance, which successor Jon Husted indispensable support adjacent year. Brown precocious offered a treatise of sorts successful The New Republic mag for restoring the nationalist Democratic Party with a pro-worker message, prompting speculation helium mightiness adjacent beryllium aspiring to the presidency.

Once Brown's plans are known, plentifulness of different Democrats volition beryllium acceptable to go, predicted Greg Beswick, a erstwhile Ohio Democratic Party enforcement director. Though it's been 20 years since Democrats won a statewide enforcement bureau successful Ohio, helium said the enactment is watching for falling support ratings for Trump and Musk to make opportunities successful 2026.

“I bash deliberation that they’re going to beryllium capable to enlistee folks and beryllium capable to tally erstwhile they commencement seeing these items,” helium said. “I deliberation it’s been easier for the Republicans, rather frankly. It’s the shuffling of the platform of folks that privation to marque definite they support a job.”

That shuffle includes Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost moving for governor, Auditor Keith Faber moving for lawyer general, Secretary of State Frank LaRose moving for auditor and Treasurer Robert Sprague moving for caput of state.

Besides Brown, different precocious illustration Democrats believed to beryllium weighing runs successful 2026 are: erstwhile U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who mislaid a tighter than expected Senate contention to Vance successful 2022; Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, who won cardinal Republican concessions for her enactment past session; and erstwhile U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach, a erstwhile Ohio lawyer wide campaigner who led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives nether President Joe Biden.

Katie Seewer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party, said they expect astatine slightest 1 Democratic campaigner volition look for each of the statewide races. She said the enactment has been seeing tons of enthusiasm astatine organizing events crossed the state.

“People are fired up and acceptable to go,” she said.

Strachan said contested primaries would powerfully payment the party, by garnering media attraction and energizing voters.