Top races to watch in Tuesday's Ohio primary
From House District 88 to Ohio Supreme Court, here are the top 2026 primary races to watch. Polls open Tuesday, May 5th from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Politics
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Ohio’s Republican supreme court candidates make a bid to unseat 6-1 court’s only Democratic justice
Four Republican candidates in Ohio’s Supreme Court primary highlight legal experience and judicial philosophy as they compete to unseat the court’s lone Democrat.
Supreme Court won’t hear appeal in Ohio utility bribery case
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from Larry Householder and Matt Borges, upholding convictions in Ohio’s HB 6 bribery scandal tied to FirstEnergy.
Formal complaints filed against Sandusky County judge over Venmo campaign funds
A Defiance man has filed formal complaints with 2 Ohio regulatory bodies alleging Sandusky County Judge Brad Smith violated state campaign finance law by accepting campaign contributions through a personal Venmo account — allegations Smith has not addressed publicly.
Ramaswamy backed COVID 'segregation' as firm got $2.25B
Vivek Ramaswamy backed a national COVID registry that would 'segregate' Americans, while his biotech firm got $2.25B from Moderna over vaccines.
Sandusky County Judge Brad Smith took campaign cash through personal Venmo, records show
Public transaction records show Sandusky County Judge Brad Smith's personal Venmo account received payments labeled as campaign contributions — a practice Ohio law requires be conducted through a separate, campaign-dedicated account.
Ohio Supreme Court reverses PUCO decision, finds utility resellers are utilities under state law
The Ohio Supreme Court reversed a state regulators' decision, ruling that third-party submetering companies supplying electricity to apartment tenants must be treated as utilities — sending the case back to the Public Utilities Commission and intensifying a legislative battle over consumer protections.
Ohio Supreme Court rules against parental rights for woman in same-sex custody case
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a woman has no legal parenting rights to children born to her former same-sex partner, rejecting a lower court's "would-have-been-married" standard as an impossible legal test.
Ohio Gun Owners drops Gary Click to F rating days before primary
Ohio Gun Owners downgraded State Rep. Gary Click from a C-minus to an F rating Thursday, citing what the organization calls unreturned campaign contributions from gun-control lobbyists — a last-minute blow 5 days before the May 5 Republican primary.
Gary Click paid nonprofit dues 910 days late, former president says
The former president of a Fremont nonprofit accused Rep. Gary Click of joining the child abuse prevention group for political gain and paying his dues 910 days late.
Beth Tischler rates Jon Ickes '9 out of 10' as he faces discipline for n-word, child rape trial texts
Sandusky County Prosecutor Beth Tischler rated Judge Jon Ickes a 9 out of 10 in disciplinary proceedings that found he repeatedly called an 18-month-old rape victim's case the "baby cocksucker case," used the n-word in the courthouse within earshot of a Black defendant, and sent sexual texts to staff during the trial.
Ohio data center ban advocates are trying to get 413,000 signatures by July 1
A volunteer-driven effort to ban large data centers in Ohio needs more than 413,000 signatures across 44 counties by July 1 — organizers say they're confident they'll make it.
Amy Acton hosts roundtable with Cincinnati constituents over affordability concerns
Democratic governor candidate Dr. Amy Acton met with Cincinnati residents last week to discuss housing, health care, and energy costs as part of her "ActOn" affordability agenda ahead of Tuesday's primary.
This Ohio county put a ban on wind and solar. Will voters reverse it?
Richland County residents vote May 5 on whether to overturn a commissioner-imposed ban on large-scale wind and solar projects — a decision that could set a precedent for clean energy fights across Ohio.
Giant U.S. Constitution coming to Ohio in advance of Independence Day
A massive replica of the U.S. Constitution's preamble is touring Ohio cities this spring, giving residents a chance to sign the scroll before it's displayed in Washington, D.C. on the nation's 250th anniversary.
Gary Click spent months dismissing Eric Watson. Now he's holding emergency rallies.
After months of dismissing Watson's challenge, Click is now holding emergency rallies and warning of a coordinated attack with six days until the Republican primary.
Jon Husted launches first ad campaign of U.S. Senate election in Ohio
The Republican senator faces no primary challenger but is already on the air in Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo ahead of a likely fall matchup with Democrat Sherrod Brown.
As Vivek Ramaswamy calls to consolidate Ohio’s public universities, Kent State president invites him to campus
Todd Diacon extends an invitation “to anyone raising questions about Ohio’s public universities” in an essay defending higher education.
US Supreme Court limits use of race in congressional district remaps, diluting Voting Rights Act
A 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has severely weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, opening the door to racial gerrymandering across the South and potentially shifting dozens of congressional seats to Republicans.
King Charles III in historic speech to Congress cites ‘checks and balances’ on executive power
King Charles III became the first British king to address a joint session of Congress, delivering a veiled rebuke of strained transatlantic ties while receiving bipartisan applause rarely seen on Capitol Hill.
