Primary Elections

Ohio Primary Elections 2026

Primary date, filing deadlines, key contested races, and what to watch in Ohio ahead of the 2026 general election.

May 5, 2026
Primary Date
None
Runoff / RCV
February 2026
Filing Deadline
High — Governor open seat crea
Competitiveness

Key 2026 Primary Races

U.S. Senate Sherrod Brown lost in 2024; Bernie Moreno (R) is new senator — not up until 2030
Governor Mike DeWine (R) is term-limited — open seat
U.S. House OH-1, OH-9, OH-13 competitive

2026 Primary Overview

Ohio governor is term-limited (DeWine), creating a competitive Republican primary. Multiple House districts are competitive in both primaries and general elections.

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Generic Ballot Democrats48.1% Republicans41.1% D+7 Trump Approval Approve39% Disapprove58% Senate D47 R53 House D213 R222 Generic Ballot Tracker Trump Approval Senate 2026 House 2026 Latest Analysis