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Ohio's 15th Congressional District special election, 2021 (August 3 Republican primary)

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Mike Carey won the special Republican primary for Ohio's 15th Congressional District on August 3, 2021. He faced Allison Russo (D) in the special general election on November 2, 2021. Eleven candidates ran in the primary.[3] The special election filled the vacancy left by Steve Stivers (R), who resigned to become the President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, effective May 16, 2021.[4]Mike Carey, Ruth Edmonds, Jeff LaRe, and Bob Peterson led in endorsements and media attention.

Stivers won the previous six elections with a 24.32 point average margin-of-victory (MOV). His lowest MOV was 12.9 points in 2010, and his highest was 32.4 points in 2016. Former President Donald Trump (R) won the District in 2020 by a 14.1 point MOV, and in 2016 by 15.4 points.[5] The general election was rated as Strong Republican by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales. Click here to learn more about what's at stake in the general election.

Stivers (R) and Trump (R) endorsed different candidates in the race.[6] Trump (R) endorsed Carey, past president and chairman of the Ohio Coal Association and a U.S. Army National Guard veteran.[7] Stivers (R) endorsed private security executive and member of the Ohio state legislature, Jeff LaRe. LaRe stated that his "top priority is keeping our communities and our families safe.”[8] Carey said he would "bring back America First policies and rebuild the American economy."[9]

Two other candidates received notable endorsements and media attention in the race, Ruth Edmonds and Bob Peterson.[10][11] Edmonds, an ordained minister and former president of the Columbus NAACP, was endorsed by Debbie Meadows' Right Women PAC. She said she was "Committed to Life [and] to ending the hateful rhetoric around race."[12] Peterson, a farmer and member of the Ohio state legislature, was endorsed by the Ohio Right to Life PAC. He stated that he was "a tireless advocate for faith, family and freedom."[13]

John Adams, Eric M. Clark, Thad Cooperridder, Ruth Edmonds, Ron Hood, Tom Hwang, Stephanie Kunze, and Omar Tarazi, also ran in the primary.

As of September 15, 2025, 17 special elections have been called during the 117th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 116th Congress, 50 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here. This page focuses on Ohio's 15th Congressional District special Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's special Democratic primary and the special general election, see the following pages:

Carey, Edmonds, and Tarazi submitted Candidate Connections surveys. Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:


Carey
Edmonds
LaRe
Peterson
Tarazi

Candidates and election results

The following candidates ran in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on August 3, 2021.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Carey
Mike Carey Candidate Connection
 
37.0
 
18,805
Image of Jeff LaRe
Jeff LaRe
 
13.3
 
6,776
Image of Ron Hood
Ron Hood
 
13.1
 
6,676
Image of Bob Peterson
Bob Peterson
 
12.6
 
6,407
Image of Ruth Edmonds
Ruth Edmonds Candidate Connection
 
10.0
 
5,090
Image of Tom Hwang
Tom Hwang
 
4.9
 
2,499
Image of Stephanie Kunze
Stephanie Kunze
 
4.6
 
2,363
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Thad Cooperrider
 
2.1
 
1,076
Image of Omar Tarazi
Omar Tarazi Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
907
Image of John Adams
John Adams
 
0.3
 
173
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Eric M. Clark
 
0.2
 
83

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 50,855
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Brian Stewart unofficially withdrew from the Republican primary and still appeared on the ballot. Any votes he received were not reported in the official results.[14][15]

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[16]

Mike Carey

Mike Carey

Image of Mike Carey

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Mike Carey is a conservative outsider who has spent his career holding politicians accountable and fighting for working class families. From starting his own hay bailing business as a kid, to following his family tradition by serving as an officer in the Army National Guard, to his 20+ year career as an executive in the American energy industry, Mike has always stood for American values and American jobs. As your next Congressman, Mike will fight like hell to make sure our communities are not left behind. He knows that America first policies – lowering taxes, cutting red tape, demanding fair trade deals, and investing in our military and first responders – worked and led to the greatest economy of our lifetimes. He’ll stop reckless Democrat spending that is causing rapid inflation and only support spending bills that are both responsible and transparent. He’ll hold the Democrats accountable for the humanitarian crisis at our southern border and fight to finish the wall! Above all, Mike knows that our Constitution IS absolute and will always defend it. Learn more: https://careyforcongress.com/meet-mike/"

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Bring back America First policies and rebuild the American economy...again

Stop reckless Democrat spending and fight radical, socialist policies

Protect our Constitutional freedoms

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 15 in 2021.

Ruth Edmonds

Ruth Edmonds

Image of Ruth Edmonds

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Raised by Grandma Pearl, and later her aunt and uncle, Ruth Edmonds has overcome obstacles and risen up to be a leader in her church, local Republican party and a national opponent of the Left’s attempts to hijack our nation. Ruth Edmonds was one of the first members of her family to earn a college degree. Raised in the inner city of Baltimore, Ruth earned a scholarship to Denison University and worked two jobs to complete her degree. She's the mother of two adult daughters, and lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio with her husband George. ​ Additionally, Ruth is a former Columbus NAACP President, licensed and ordained minister who serves on the ministry leadership team at Columbus Christian Center, and a member of the inaugural class of the Club for Growth fellows, a fellowship focused on pro-growth, limited government policies. Ruth was the first and is still the only candidate in Ohio's Special Election Primary to sign Americans for Tax Reform's federal 'No New Taxes' pledge."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I’m running for Congress to END THE LEFT’s LIE that all white people are villains & all brown people are victims. WE ARE ONE COUNTRY. We are ONE NATION under God, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all.

We must secure Biden's Broken Borders. Our border crisis is hurting American families through the raising drug epidemic and the heinousness of today's modern-day slavery, human trafficking. Securing our borders is compassionate and Pro-Life.

I am Pro-Life, Pro-Jobs, Pro-Faith, Pro-Family, Pro-Police, Pro-Liberty, Pro-Military, and Pro-Constitution

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 15 in 2021.

Jeff LaRe

Jeff LaRe

Image of Jeff LaRe

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Biography:  LaRe began his career as an Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) Certified Peace Officer and an OPOTA Certified Corrections Officer at the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office. LaRe also served as the Deputy Sheriff in Fairfield County before becoming the executive vice president of the Whitestone Group in 2000, where his employment was ongoing as of the 2021 election. LaRe and his family lived in Violet Township in Fairfield County as of the 2021 election.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

LaRe said he had spent his career keeping people safe and that his "top priority is keeping our communities and our families safe.” 

LaRe said existing American border policy had contributed to drugs entering Ohio communities and that his family had personally been affected by drugs, saying “I will work every day to secure our borders and protect our nation.”

LaRe said, "Government shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers. We need to eliminate burdensome regulations, so our small businesses can grow and prosper."

Show sources

Sources: Jeff LaRe for Congress, "On the Issues," accessed June 21, 2021; Team LaRe, "Jeff LaRe for Congress," accessed June 21, 2021; Ohio House of Representatives, "Jeff LaRe Selected To Fill 77th District House Seat," May 22, 2019; Jeff LaRe for Congress, “Meet Jeff,” accessed June 21, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 15 in 2021.

Bob Peterson

Bob Peterson

Image of Bob Peterson

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Biography:  Peterson received his B.S. in agriculture from Ohio State University in 1983. As of the 2021 election, his professional experience included managing Peterson Family Farm, and serving as the president of the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Fayette County Farm Bureau. Peterson served as the state Senate president pro tempore during the 133rd, 132nd, and the second half of the 131st General Assembly. As of the 2021 election, Peterson lived in Fayette County on his family farm.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Peterson's website stated that, “the values he learned growing up on the farm inspired him to become involved and make a difference.”

Peterson stated that with his business and legislative background he knew how to balance a budget, saying he had voted against tax increases, and had instead voted to cut taxes and reduce government spending.

Peterson stated that he was pro-life and had worked as a legislator to prevent public tax dollars from being used to perform abortions, and that he had worked on building the Ohioan healthcare system and would work to expand free-market patient care options in congress.

Show sources

Sources: Bob Peterson, Conservative for Congress, "Issues," accessed June 21, 2021; Bob Peterson, Conservative for Congress, "Bio," accessed June 21, 2021; Project Vote Smart, "Biography of Sen. Bob Peterson," accessed June 21, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 15 in 2021.

Omar Tarazi

Omar Tarazi

Image of Omar Tarazi

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

  • Hilliard City Council (Assumed office: 2019)

Submitted Biography:  "We have lived in central Ohio for 31 years, and Hilliard Ohio has been our home since 2009. My wife and I have raised our children here. There are Eagle Scouts, and one is in the U.S. Navy. I have over 12 years of experience as an attorney working with businesses and organizations on contracts, litigation, and management issues. My undergraduate degree is in Business Administration from Franklin University, and I graduated Cum Laude from Dayton Law School with honors in Dispute Resolution. It was an honor to have served on the Columbus Bar Association Admissions Committee for eight years, and I also served on the Ethics committee for 3 years. In addition, I previously served on the Hilliard Board of Zoning Appeals. I was elected to the Hilliard City Council in 2019 and continue to serve to the present helping to take our community to the next level as a great place to live and raise a family."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

I will be a champion for applying conservative principles to governance as the path forward to maximize economic opportunity and quality of life for everyone.

I am the best candidate to represent the diverse voices and interests in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District

I am running for Congress to rebalance the system, so it works fairly for all Americans, and to fight for the reforms and investments we need to secure our long-term prosperity as a nation.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 15 in 2021.


Noteworthy primary endorsements

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Republican primary endorsements
Endorsement Carey LeRe Edmonds Kunze Peterson Tarazi Hood
Elected officials
House Republican Conference Chair, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R)[17] ✔
Majority Floor Leader, State Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
Assistant Majority Whip, State Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Jon Cross (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. D.J. Swearingen (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Bob Young (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Mike Loychik (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Rep. Tom Young (R-Ohio)[18] ✔
State Sen. Jay Hottinger (R-Ohio)[19] ✔
State Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Ohio)[20] ✔
State Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Ohio)[21] ✔
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R)[22] ✔
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R)[22] ✔
Individuals
Corey Lewandowski[23] ✔
David Bossie[24] ✔
Donald Trump[25] ✔
Steve Stivers[26] ✔
Ken Blackwell[27] ✔
James Dobson[27] ✔
Gary Scherer[28] ✔
Steve Austria[29] ✔
Dave Hobson[29] ✔
Cathi Chamberlain[30] ✔
Organizations
Fight Back Now America PAC[31] ✔
Citizens United Political Victory Fund[32] ✔
Fairfield County Republican Party[33] ✔
Family Research Council Action PAC[34] ✔
Right Women PAC[35] ✔
Franklin County Republican Party[36] ✔
Maggie's List PAC[37] ✔
Value In Electing Women Political PAC[38] ✔
Madison County Republican Party[39] ✔
Ohio Right to Life PAC[40] ✔


Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

John Adams

Campaign website

Adams' campaign Facebook stated the following:

“

Our campaign is the beginning of the fight to the death, for the soul of our nation. [41]

”
—John Adams' campaign Facebook (2021)[42]


Candidate Connections

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Adams did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Mike Carey

Campaign website

Carey's campaign website stated the following:

“

Economy & Jobs
We have the blueprint to build a booming economy. President Trump handed it to us. His America first policies worked and we all benefitted. Lowering taxes, cutting red tape, demanding fair trade deals, and investing in our military. We had record low unemployment, higher wages, stellar GDP growth, consumer confidence at all-time highs, the best markets in history, and list goes on. Now the Biden-Harris administration and their extreme left wing allies in Congress are reversing those policies, bending the knee to China, and threatening our children and grandchildren’s economic future.

Operation Warp Speed was a historic success and now it’s time to stop reckless Democrat spending and get our economy back to work.

Democrats lied to us by claiming their outrageous funding bills were about fighting the pandemic or building infrastructure. The truth is these bills only set aside a fraction of the combined $4 trillion for those purposes. What is the rest for? Well, instead of funding the most high-speed broadband projects, roads and bridges as possible, Democrats are funding their radical agenda to create more government dependence and less American independence.

The consequences are dire. Inflation is speeding up and consumer prices are rising at the fastest rate since 2008. Just look at gas prices today compared to a year ago – they’ve skyrocketed. And after a year of fighting for survival in 2020, small businesses are now struggling to hire and keep their doors open because expanded unemployment benefits are disincentivizing work.

This can’t continue. Let’s get back to the policies that work and be both responsible and transparent with our spending.

American Energy Independence
Our nation is blessed with an abundance of coal, natural gas, and oil that provide the base load electricity needed to power our lives and our future. President Trump understood that fact and embraced a true all of the above energy strategy that made the United States energy independent for the first time in over 60 years.

The fact is, we cannot electrify the economy by eliminating our most reliable sources of electricity. We must invest in new fossil fuel technologies as well as renewables because we need more electricity to run a 21st century economy, not less. Unfortunately though, the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress no longer believe in an all of the above energy strategy and want to totally eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

The Democrats don’t seem to understand the consequences of their short sighted energy policies. When Joe Biden killed the Keystone XL pipeline, he killed thousands of good paying American jobs and, by his own Energy Secretary’s admission, the “best way” to transport fuel.

The Democrat “Green New Deal” is a $93 Trillion sham that will destroy our economy, and the Biden climate agenda will give the Chinese Communist Party the advantage it needs to expand its role as the world’s largest energy producer.

Energy makes modern life possible and the Democrats are holding America back.

Stop Anti-American Curriculum in our Schools
This nation was founded on freedom and the belief that all men and women are created equal. We should not be teaching our children to hate America or to oppose one another based on race or gender. We may not be perfect, but our history proves that we are the greatest nation on the planet.

As Senator Tim Scott said: “It’s backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination.”

Immigration
The Biden Border Crisis must be taken seriously and it must be solved. Border apprehensions are at a 20-year high while deportations are at the lowest level on record.

This is the direct result of the policies and rhetoric of Joe Biden and his absent “border czar,” Kamala Harris.

ICE border officials have been handcuffed by the administration and overwhelmed by the number of illegal crossings. Detention facilities have been dangerously overcrowded and the cost of migrant care has skyrocketed.

Biden’s soft border policy has created a humanitarian crisis, with nearly 60% of those who made the trek from Central America experience violence, sexual assault and even human trafficking. Children are being left for dead by smugglers.

Even Mexican officials have claimed that Biden’s immigration policies are spurring illegal immigration and organized crime.

We must get tough on illegal immigration again and finish the wall!

Second Amendment
It’s simple. The Constitution IS absolute and – the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Pro-Life
As a father, I believe that life is precious and must be protected.

It’s unconscionable that the Democrats caved to Planned Parenthood and excluded the Hyde Amendment from their $1.9 trillion spending bill, allowing your tax dollars to fund abortions. Even worse, Joe Biden revoked the Mexico City Policy, allowing your tax dollars to fund abortions in foreign countries.

The government should not be in the business of abortion. [41]

”
—Mike Carey's campaign website (2021)[43]


Candidate Connections

Candidate Connection

Mike Carey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Carey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Mike Carey is a conservative outsider who has spent his career holding politicians accountable and fighting for working class families.

From starting his own hay bailing business as a kid, to following his family tradition by serving as an officer in the Army National Guard, to his 20+ year career as an executive in the American energy industry, Mike has always stood for American values and American jobs.

As your next Congressman, Mike will fight like hell to make sure our communities are not left behind. He knows that America first policies – lowering taxes, cutting red tape, demanding fair trade deals, and investing in our military and first responders – worked and led to the greatest economy of our lifetimes. He’ll stop reckless Democrat spending that is causing rapid inflation and only support spending bills that are both responsible and transparent. He’ll hold the Democrats accountable for the humanitarian crisis at our southern border and fight to finish the wall! Above all, Mike knows that our Constitution IS absolute and will always defend it.

Learn more: https://careyforcongress.com/meet-mike/
  • Bring back America First policies and rebuild the American economy...again
  • Stop reckless Democrat spending and fight radical, socialist policies
  • Protect our Constitutional freedoms
Economy and jobs - America First

Immigration - Finish the wall

Education - stop anti-American curriculum

Election Integrity

American energy independence

Defending the 2nd Amendment

Pro-Life

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Eric M. Clark

Campaign website

Eric M. Clark's campaign did not have a website.


Candidate Connections

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Eric M. Clark did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Thad Cooperrider

Campaign website

Cooperrider's campaign website stated the following:

“

Thad is a lifelong resident of the district, residing with his wife Janet and their two children, Dylan and Lindsay, on their family farm near Thornville

Together, the family farms nearly 1,000 acres of crops and raise livestock. They also operate Deer Valley Farm Supply serving area farmers for over 40 years, and Janet has managed their local historic tavern in Somerset for the last 30 years.

Thad served two terms as Perry County Commissioner from 2001-2009. For the past decade he and Janet have focused on raising their family and managing the growth of their business. Now that Dylan is 21 and is taking on the Farm Supply business, and Lindsay is a senior in high school, helping mom with her food service, Thad views this as the right time to step back into public service.

A self-proclaimed Constitutional Conservative, Thad is an ardent defender of the 2nd Amendment, believes life on this Earth begins at conception and ends at natural death and proclaims Washington DC has infringed on states rights and the personal rights of all individual Ohioans.

An unapologetic supporter of Donald Trump, Thad will be going to Congress to continue the policies set forth by President Trump.

“Mask mandates, government orders that are not laws and career politicians advocating for men to compete in women sports are only a few of the hundreds of examples of a federal government gone awry. All free minded Americans need to join together and lead our nation in the proper direction,” states Thad Cooperrider. “Unlike many, it is not my lifelong dream to go to Washington DC, where “go along – get along” politicians have turned our Capitol into a modern-day Babylon. Liberals are overrunning our government, our schools and our institutions. In the words of the great Ronald Reagan, “if not now … then when? If not me … then who? The time is NOW and we can look no further than ourselves to assure the leadership and policies of our nation is corrected in time for America to survive. It is time for everyday Ohioans, farmers, factory workers, secretaries and small business owners who helped build this country, to step up and defend America and Ohio,” says Thad. The 15th Ohio Congressional District has an opportunity to be first to set the course for the 2022 elections. By “Sending Thad to Congress” it demonstrates to all America that they can elect regular everyday friends and neighbors to represent them, we don’t need life-long career politicians, lobbyists and political insiders to speak on our behalf,” concluded, Thad Cooperrider. [41]

”
—Thad Cooperrider's campaign website (2021)[44]


Candidate Connections

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Thad Cooperrider did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Ruth Edmonds

Campaign website

Edmonds' campaign website stated the following:

“

"I will go to Washington stand up to AOC and Nancy Pelosi to end the Left's divisive narrative on race. I will promote a Culture of Life that not only fights to end abortion but also seeks to stop human trafficking and curb the growing drug crisis. The first step is to fix Biden's Broken Border. Our great nation was founded on the fundamental right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. In Congress, I will defend your Constitutional freedoms, no matter what!"

List of Issues

Pro-Life
Pro-Jobs
Pro-Faith
Pro-Family
Pro-Police
Pro-Liberty
Pro-Military
Pro-Constitution

Biden's Border Crisis:
Ruth will work in Washington to stand up to Democrats and Joe Biden to secure our borders and fix Biden's broken border. By doing so, we will blunt human trafficking, stop the spread of the opioid epidemic, and protect life and the quality of life for families for a generation.

Protect Constitutional Freedoms:
Ruth will ensure our government is focused on issues that matter most to Ohioans like keeping taxes low and empowering citizens to forge their own path to pursue Life, Liberty, and Happiness. These are Ruth’s core principles and how she will govern in D.C.

Race Relations in America:
By bringing hard work, accountability, and personal responsibility back to Washington, Ruth will end the Left's lie that all Caucasians are villains and all dark-skinned people are victims. We need a return to Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream that we judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Ruth will be a conservative voice to stop the spread of divisive ideas like Critical Race Theory, the 1619 Project, and Socialism. [41]

”
—Ruth Edmonds' campaign website (2021)[45]


Candidate Connections

Candidate Connection

Ruth Edmonds completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Edmonds' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Raised by Grandma Pearl, and later her aunt and uncle, Ruth Edmonds has overcome obstacles and risen up to be a leader in her church, local Republican party and a national opponent of the Left’s attempts to hijack our nation.

Ruth Edmonds was one of the first members of her family to earn a college degree. Raised in the inner city of Baltimore, Ruth earned a scholarship to Denison University and worked two jobs to complete her degree. She's the mother of two adult daughters, and lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio with her husband George. ​ Additionally, Ruth is a former Columbus NAACP President, licensed and ordained minister who serves on the ministry leadership team at Columbus Christian Center, and a member of the inaugural class of the Club for Growth fellows, a fellowship focused on pro-growth, limited government policies.

Ruth was the first and is still the only candidate in Ohio's Special Election Primary to sign Americans for Tax Reform's federal 'No New Taxes' pledge.
  • I’m running for Congress to END THE LEFT’s LIE that all white people are villains & all brown people are victims. WE ARE ONE COUNTRY. We are ONE NATION under God, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all.
  • We must secure Biden's Broken Borders. Our border crisis is hurting American families through the raising drug epidemic and the heinousness of today's modern-day slavery, human trafficking. Securing our borders is compassionate and Pro-Life.
  • I am Pro-Life, Pro-Jobs, Pro-Faith, Pro-Family, Pro-Police, Pro-Liberty, Pro-Military, and Pro-Constitution
I'm passionate about ending the Left's lie on race and stopping Critical Race Theory and the 1619 project.

I also care deeply about preserving our Constitutional freedoms including our 2nd Amendment rights and Religious Liberties.

Our very way of life is under attack and I am the only candidate who can stand "toe-to-toe" with Nancy Pelosi and AOC to fight for our values in an authentic and credible way.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Ron Hood

Campaign website

Hood's campaign website stated the following:

“

I’m Ron Hood and I will take a stand and fight back against the left-wing Radicals who are hellbent on turning America into a Socialist hellhole with socialist policies like AOC’s economy-wrecking “Green New Deal,” or Bernie Sanders’ government-run “Medicare-for-all.”

I’ll fight back against dangerous BLM/Antifa thugs from terrorizing our churches, looting our businesses or burning down our communities.

I’ll fight back against the dangerous indoctrination of our children with the racist and anti-American “Critical Race Theory.”

I will fight DEFUND abortion mills like Planned Parenthood. Life begins at conception and not one single penny of your tax dollars should fund abortion-on-demand.

I will NEVER vote for gun control and fight against dangerous “Red Flag” gun confiscation laws. You have a God-given right to protect yourself and your family.

I will fight to Secure the Border: Build the Wall, Fully Fund Our Border Patrol, Defund Sanctuary Cities! [41]

”
—Ron Hood's campaign website (2021)[46]

Candidate Connections

Ron Hood did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Tom Hwang

Campaign website

Hwang's campaign website stated the following:

“

The Budget Deficit
In 2020, the budget deficit was 3.1 trillion dollars and is likely to be 3.5 trillion or higher in 2021. In contrast, Americans used about 3.5 trillion sheets of toilet paper last year. Deficit spending of dollar bills at the same rate as sheets of toilet paper means a dollar may soon buy only 1 sheet of toilet paper.

​The deficit is robbing this generation and the next of the opportunities they should have. This is also destroying the country’s financial health and threatens the social security payments that millions of Americans count on.

This is my number one issue and I will fight to bring fiscal sanity to Washington.

​Immigration
We need to reduce immigration.

Under President Trump, immigration was reduced and as a result, wages for U.S. citizens rose--in particular for the working class and especially for Blacks and Hispanics. This was a good result.

​We simply must finish building the border wall and enforce the immigration laws already on the books. Whatever immigration policies you want which may be the same as mine or maybe a little different, they will simply not be achievable without a border wall and enforcement of immigration laws. Joe Biden refusal to finish the wall, and his refusal to enforce immigration laws, has unleashed chaos on our borders and it must be stopped.

Science
I have a strong science education background which few in Congress have.

​The talk in Washington is that you should believe the science. But the science has been so politicized it is hard to know what to believe. But with my science background, I will be able to cut through the politics, the useless and confusing jargon and spin in a way that few others can.

MAGA - Make America Great Again
For me, MAGA means investing for the future. We need more investment in Ohio and the USA. More specifically, to have a first-rate economy, we need:

A real plan to improve our infrastructure (not the Biden-Pelosi bloated social program overspending plan),

  • better capital equipment in our private sector business,
  • better access to capital for small firms,
  • an upgraded electrical grid and power generation, and
  • better broadband connectivity especially in rural areas.

[41]

”
—Tom Hwang's campaign website (2021)[47]

Candidate Connections

Tom Hwang did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Stephanie Kunze

Campaign website

Kunze's campaign website stated the following:

“

Stephanie Kunze is running for Congress to bring commonsense conservative values and a perspective and leadership that we need in Washington. She is currently serving her second term in the Ohio Senate representing the people of the 16th Senate District on the western side of Franklin County.

Known for her passionate advocacy for small business, education, and health issues important to Ohioans, Stephanie Kunze has successfully championed legislation aimed at reducing the opiate epidemic that is plaguing Ohio’s communities and delivering justice for victims of sexual violence; advocated for efforts to improve Ohio’s business climate; and fought to ensure that Ohio’s students receive the highest quality education possible.

Stephanie Kunze is a respected and influential leader at the Ohio Statehouse. She has served as Chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education and Transportation Committees, as well as a member of the Financial Institutions and Technology; Insurance; Agriculture and Natural Resources; and Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committees. She has also been appointed to several boards and commissions, including the Infant Mortality Commission, the Ohio Family Stability Commission, the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund, the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board, and the Commission on Minority Health.

Stephanie Kunze believes women can and must have a voice in shaping public policy. She co-sponsored the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, which highlighted the importance of women’s right to vote and promoted their participation in the political process. Serving in the Senate Stephanie continues to be a voice for the fight against infant mortality, maternal morbidity and mortality, and human trafficking. She is a strong advocate for policies promoting women in the workplace, women entrepreneurs, and women-owned businesses, as well as programs that empower women to seek and hold elective office.

Stephanie has called Ohio home for more than 25 years. While raising her two daughters with her husband Matt, she dedicated her time to volunteer leadership and service in her community and was elected to the Hilliard City Council in 2009. Her commitment to supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs led her to be a founding member of a startup company, Local Level Events, which was created to encourage those who live and work in an area to support their local businesses, schools and community. In addition, she volunteers with groups to address the needs and challenges of poverty in her community.

Stephanie Kunze is a member of several local Chambers of Commerce and the Franklin County Farm Bureau. Stephanie Kunze graduated with a degree in English from Indiana University. [41]

”
—Stephanie Kunze's campaign website (2021)[48]


Candidate Connections

Stephanie Kunze did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Jeff LaRe

Campaign website

LaRe's campaign website stated the following:

“

Grow the Economy and Small Businesses
I believe in the American Dream. If you work hard and play by the rules, then you should succeed. Government shouldn’t be in the business of picking winners and losers. We need to eliminate burdensome regulations, so our small businesses can grow and prosper.

Strengthen Our Borders
America needs strong borders. We need to know who – and what – is coming into our country, and the safety of our communities is in jeopardy. I will work every day to secure our borders and protect our nation.

Balance the Budget
I firmly believe in the Balanced Budget Amendment. American families have to live within their means, it’s time our government does too. We cannot saddle our future generations with undue financial burden.

Be Energy Independent
We need a plan to become energy independent. Our government needs to get out of the way and eliminate regulations and unnecessary taxation. I will support the Keystone XL Pipeline, and other projects that allow for America to produce our own energy.

Defend the Second Amendment
The right to bear arms is guaranteed in our Constitution. I am an unabashed defender of our 2nd Amendment, receiving the highest ratings from the NRA and Buckeye Firearms Association.

Protect Innocent Life
I am proud to be 100% Pro-Life. I have a strong voting record supporting life and making adoption a viable option for families across our great state. [41]

”
—Jeff LaRe's campaign website (2021)[49]

Candidate Connections

Jeff LaRe did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Bob Peterson

Campaign website

Peterson's campaign website stated the following:

“

Economic Recovery & Jobs
The COVID-19 pandemic created enormous hardship for many families, our farmers, and businesses throughout our communities. I and many others lost some dear friends to the virus. But we're not a Nanny State. Let's trust our businesses, workers, and local government leaders to safely re-open our economy and start growing again. Government should incentivize and support private sector job creation, not create more bureaucracy.

Immigration & Securing the Border
We must do everything we can to protect our nation from enemies, both foreign and domestic. That means securing our borders, opposing sanctuary cities, and enforcing our immigration laws so those who seek to become Americans the legal way can do so, and those who seek to do us harm can't easily take advantage of our open doors. If we aren't safe, nothing else matters.

Balancing the Budget
As a businessman and a legislator, I know what it takes to balance a budget and live within our means. In the Statehouse, I stood strong and voted against a Democrat plan to raise taxes and dramatically increase government spending. Instead, I've repeatedly voted to cut taxes, reduce and eliminate wasteful government spending, and protect your tax dollars. Not even two months into the Biden administration, Congress passed the largest "stimulus" spending bill in modern U.S. history without a single bipartisan vote. On top of that, President Biden announced a federal budget that hikes non-defense spending by 16 percent, or $1.5 trillion. It's out of control, and the only way to pay for this march to socialism is with massive debt or tax increases. These reckless policies can have catastrophic effects, from unbridled inflation to global economic vulnerability. We desperately need to balance our federal budget and get Washington under control - before it's too late!

Pro Second Amendment
The right of the American people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. That protection is enshrined in our Constitution and it must be upheld. It's one of many freedoms granted to each citizen that demand vigilant protection. That’s why I'm a proud gun owner and a lifetime member of the NRA. I'm the only candidate in this race who has been endorsed multiple times with an A rating from the NRA and the Buckeye Firearms Association.

Pro Life & Health Care
As a proud father and grandfather, I'm staunchly pro-life and believe that life begins at conception. I've fought throughout my legislative career to protect the lives of the unborn and prevent public tax dollars from being used to carry out abortions. I'm also working to ensure that Ohioans have the best health care system in the world - built around access, choice, and affordability, NOT a socialized, unsustainable, government-run mess. I'll continue working to expand free-market patient care options, such as telehealth, and I'll demand affordability in drug pricing and transparency in medical billing. That’s why, during my time in the Statehouse, I’ve been consistently endorsed by medical professionals throughout Ohio.

Seniors & Veterans
We promised our seniors and veterans that we'll be there for them when they need care. I'm committed to fulfilling those promises by making sure these programs are solvent and sustainable into the future. Our parents paid into Social Security and Medicare, just like the rest of us, and they deserve to know those benefits will be there for them unchanged. Likewise, our veterans answered the call of duty in service to our country. We owe them a debt of gratitude and a lifetime of support. [41]

”
—Bob Peterson's campaign website (2021)[50]

Candidate Connections

Bob Peterson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Omar Tarazi

Campaign website

Tarazi's campaign website stated the following:

“

On the Economy
The U.S. The Federal Reserve’s intervention into the economy for the last dozen years has been in many ways counterproductive. Then the Federal government comes in with wasteful deficit spending, which burdens our economy with additional unproductive debt. All of this serves the interest of politicians, billionaires, and major corporations, but it does not serve the interest of the average American. I will fight for federal spending that has a strong positive return on investment. Otherwise, we need to stop all wasteful spending, and we need to prioritize the long-term economic vitality of the country over short-term political interests. Capitalism built our country through competition and allowing failing companies to fail. No industry should be allowed to consolidate to such a degree that competition is effectively eliminated and we must constantly work to protect American businesses from the unfair competitive practices of other countries that take advantage of us.

On Big Tech
Big tech are the leaders of innovation that we will rely on to keep our country competitive against emerging big technology companies from countries like China. However, we need to do three things in this area: A- Punish unfair intellectual property theft, B- Allow the marketplace to force our companies to innovate instead of trying to protect them from fair competition, and C- We need to intelligent regulation of these large technology companies to prevent abuses and protect the integrity of our political and election systems.

On the Environment
Nobody cares more about the land and the environment more than our great farmers who work with it every day. The problem is our farmers are often just trying their best to stay afloat financially so they often lack the means to invest in better practices. This has led a lot of small farmers going out of business and being bought out or consolidated by big companies. As a nation, we are healthy when our food is healthy. Therefore, we need to work on the current incentive structures and unfair international competition, and we need to invest in our farmers as part of an overall plan to keep America healthy and beautiful.

On Healthcare
We already spend more than anyone else in the world on our health care system and get poor or substandard results on average. The good news is we don’t need to spend any more money on our system. We just need to spend what we already spend in a smarter and more productive manner. This means creating greater competition and transparency, and measuring the productivity of the money we do spend against health outcomes. We need to change the incentive structures that favor the interests of big corporations over the interests of the patient.

On Infrastructure & Debt
Generations before us invested in the infrastructure that has been the foundation of our prosperity. It is now crumbling and in need of modernization. We need to update and modernize our nation with the infrastructure for the next 40 years of prosperity. Currently, we incentivize corporations to buy back their stock instead of investing in research and development, and we reward failing companies with bailouts. We need to incentivize research and development and allow capitalism’s creative destruction to work again. We must invest our limited resources as a nation more productively towards securing our future productivity.

On Policing and the Justice System
We must work with and celebrate our brave members of our law enforcement community who keep us safe. At the same time, there are a lot of reforms we can and should do through a collaborative process. Our legal system has become so complex that the complexity and discretion built into the system occasionally produce erratic and inconsistent outcomes, particularly for poor and minorities. We will work with the various stakeholders to streamline the system to ensure greater accountability towards the goal of making it simpler, more consistent, and predictable.

On Military and Foreign Policy
Today's global supply chains are moving and technology standards being developed around the world’s largest trading block dominated by China. As an American nationalist, I believe it is critical to our long-term prosperity that we do not shrink away from the world, or use our existing advantage to try to prevent fair competition. We need to win the future by out-competing and provide the best model for the world to follow in all areas. The global pandemic showed us how interconnected we all are. The proliferation of pollution, chemical and biological weapons, and human tragedy in one part of the world can easily migrate to affect other parts of the world. We must take a holistic global approach to defending our national interests with our allies without getting sucked into no-win military adventures. As an example, we must work with our allies to ensure Iran and Russia do not win in Syria and a peaceful outcome is reached. Our long-term prosperity is dependent on our allies, seeing that we are both strong, principled, and smart in how we conduct ourselves. If we shrink from the world, the world will turn away from us, which will threaten our long-term prosperity as a nation. In addition, we need to continue to adapt and make hard decisions in our military investments to deal with the changing realities, and new technological threats, particularly from countries like China and Russia. I will fight to put our nation’s long-term safety and security first in all of our military spending decisions.

On the Second Amendment
I fully support the second amendment, own guns, and value and support the healthy and positive sport, hunting, and gun culture in our country. The problems we have in our country involving guns are not because of the guns, but rather because we have done a poor job at dealing with mental health, social isolation, crime, and maximizing economic opportunity. In order to protect the second amendment and our constitutional rights in general, we need to continue to appoint judges to the bench who interpret the law as it is, not as their politics would want it to be. I will fight hard against the efforts to destroy the Supreme Court through Court packing.

On the Border and Immigration
No nation can survive with open borders. We need to secure our borders and develop a consensus national immigration strategy. This country was built and developed by immigrants and immigration is critical to economic vitality. We need two things. Modernization of our immigration laws and actual consistent enforcement of those laws. What we don't need is open borders like we have now, and we must stop the depletion of border patrol resources I will fight to build a national consensus, immigration strategy which will be both humane, will secure our borders, and will advance our economic interests as a nation.

Right to Life
Every human life, including the life of the unborn, is sacred and special. We must ensure that every mother receives the best level of care and support, both before and after birth. We have allowed too many chemicals to pollute our environment which we know affect the very sensitive development of children, particularly in the womb. We must take a holistic approach to maximizing the quality of health for every new generation of Americans both before and after birth. [41]

”
—Omar Tarazi's campaign website (2021)[51]

Candidate Connections

Candidate Connection

Omar Tarazi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Tarazi's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

We have lived in central Ohio for 31 years, and Hilliard Ohio has been our home since 2009. My wife and I have raised our children here. There are Eagle Scouts, and one is in the U.S. Navy. I have over 12 years of experience as an attorney working with businesses and organizations on contracts, litigation, and management issues. My undergraduate degree is in Business Administration from Franklin University, and I graduated Cum Laude from Dayton Law School with honors in Dispute Resolution. It was an honor to have served on the Columbus Bar Association Admissions Committee for eight years, and I also served on the Ethics committee for 3 years. In addition, I previously served on the Hilliard Board of Zoning Appeals. I was elected to the Hilliard City Council in 2019 and continue to serve to the present helping to take our community to the next level as a great place to live and raise a family.
  • I will be a champion for applying conservative principles to governance as the path forward to maximize economic opportunity and quality of life for everyone.
  • I am the best candidate to represent the diverse voices and interests in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District
  • I am running for Congress to rebalance the system, so it works fairly for all Americans, and to fight for the reforms and investments we need to secure our long-term prosperity as a nation.
I am passionate about securing our long-term prosperity as a nation. There are many areas for reform that necessarily come from this that I want to work on among them: A- Creating incentives for simplification and greater efficiency from government agencies B- Balancing our economic policy to invest and favor the middle class C- Reforming the justice system with the goal of streamlining procedures towards greater simplicity and predictability D- Reducing the footprint of government to allow the private sector the space to breath and compete E- Re-Re-evaluating our trade and alliances around a consensus long term strategy.
First, a servant leader attitude. Too many elected leaders adopt and autocratic elitist attitude towards others and I disagree with that approach. Second, having a diverse life experience and good temperament is important to understand where people are coming from and the human consequences of decisions made. Third, having a legal, financial, and procedural background is very helpful to increase effectiveness and protect you from being manipulated by others.
I would like to leave a legacy in two areas: first, I would like to help lead our nation in overcoming its current problems and put it on a path to secure our collective prosperity through innovative and creative solutions derived from conservative governing principles. Second, the culture of congress has deteriorated over the years such that it has become extremely ineffective. I would like to be able to play a role in transforming the culture to a more effective outcomes-oriented culture.
When I was young, my parents moved to Kuwait so that my father could teach at the university there. I don’t have many memories from the time, but I do have a strong memory of sitting on the beach when I was about 7 years old and listening to bombs going off in the distance as major battles were being fought in the Iran-Iraq war. It was surreal seeing the other kids playing around me in the water, and thinking about the people dying in the distance in a war I didn’t understand. A few years later, Iraq invaded Kuwait and actually stationed troops in the apartment complex where our home was. We were in America at the time and never went back. In some ways, these experiences root my deep desire to end war and find peaceful solutions to problems.
I enjoy watching Japanese Anime and I really liked the song Gurenge by Lisa that is played at the beginning of the Demon Slayer series.
Yes, I do believe it is beneficial for a representative to have some prior experience as it will help them be more effective in getting things done. As a representative you are just one vote out of 435. Experience in figuring out what others want and working with them through the legislative procedural process and experience in working with government agencies can all be very useful to getting something done and serving your district.
We are losing faith in our institutions and each other. Our infrastructure is falling apart. We keep artificially inflating the stock market and keeping zombie companies alive. Most Americans have seen their condition stagnate or decline. Congress has mostly kicked the can down the road for decades instead of making the hard decision needed to bring real reforms. We have lost the lead in many of the technologies of the future to Asian countries who have formed the world’s largest trade block around China. A culture of fear is permeating our institutions which focuses on the appearance of doing the right thing instead of facts and outcomes. I believe all of these factors are bringing us closer to a real breaking point that will require strong leadership to navigate and set the foundations for the next several decades of prosperity.
Yes, I am interested in joining at least the following committees: Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee, the Finance and Financial Institutions Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, the Judiciary Committee on Civil Justice, and the Judiciary Committee for Criminal Justice.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Mike Carey

Supporting Carey

"Pres. Trump Endorses Mike Carey in August 3 Primary" - Carey campaign ad, released July 1, 2021
"Pres. Trump Endorses Mike Carey for Congress (OH-15)" - Carey campaign ad, released June 9, 2021
"Mike Carey for Congress" - Carey campaign ad, released May 16, 2021

Ruth Edmonds

Supporting Edmonds

"Ruth Edmonds for Congress "One Country"" - Edmonds campaign ad, released July 12, 2021
"Ruth Edmonds" - Edmonds campaign ad, released June 25, 2021


Tom Hwang

Supporting Hwang

"Stop Runaway Government Spending!" - Hwang campaign ad, released July 8, 2021
"Critical Race Theory" - Hwang campaign ad, released June 30, 2021
"Tom Hwang for Congress" - Hwang campaign ad, released June 7, 2021


Jeff LaRe

Supporting LaRe

"Meet Jeff" - LaRe campaign ad, released July 7, 2021
"Jeff LaRe for Congress" - LaRe campaign ad, released June 11, 2021


Bob Peterson

Supporting Peterson

"Fairfield County Law Enforcement Endorses Bob Peterson for Congress" - Peterson campaign ad, released July 12, 2021
"Bob Peterson: Our Pro-Life Leader" - Peterson campaign ad, released July 8, 2021

Opposing Carey, Edmonds, Hood, Hwang, LaRe,

The following ad was released by the Peterson campaign on Facebook on July 21, 2021.

Omar Tarazi

Supporting Tarazi

"Top Priorities 3" - Tarazi campaign ad, released June 25, 2021
"commercial Tarazi for Congress" - Tarazi campaign ad, released June 14, 2021
"commercial 2 CRT" - Tarazi campaign ad, released June 14, 2021
"Omar Tarazi for Congress" - Tarazi campaign ad, released May 18, 2021


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Ohio's 15th Congressional District special election, 2021: Republican primary polls
Poll Date Carey Cooperrider Hood Hwang Kunze LaRe Peterson Tarazi Undecided/Other Margin of error Sample size Sponsor
Fabrizio Lee June 23-24, 2021 20% 2% 7% 3% 6% 9% 7% 1% 44%[52] ± 4.9 400 LV Carey for Congress


Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
John Adams Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Mike Carey Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Eric M. Clark Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Thad Cooperrider Republican Party $17,350 $17,350 $0 As of November 4, 2021
Ruth Edmonds Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Ron Hood Republican Party $283,849 $283,849 $0 As of December 31, 2022
Tom Hwang Republican Party $758,707 $758,402 $500 As of December 31, 2022
Stephanie Kunze Republican Party $104,824 $104,824 $0 As of September 30, 2021
Jeff LaRe Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Bob Peterson Republican Party $590,626 $590,626 $0 As of December 31, 2021
Omar Tarazi Republican Party $210,082 $210,082 $0 As of September 30, 2021

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2021. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[53][54][55]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

Club for Growth Action

The Columbus Dispatch reported on July 23, 2021, that the Club for Growth Action had "spent roughly $148,000 on mailers targeting Kunze, LaRe and Peterson."[56]

Conservative Outsiders PAC

The Columbus Dispatch reported on July 28, 2021, that the Conservative Outsiders PAC had spent "$220,000 in opposition ads against coal lobbyist Mike Carey."[57]

Make America Great Again Action, Inc. PAC

On July 29, 2021, it was reported by Cleaveland.com that the Make America Great Again Action Inc. PAC had spent "almost $350,000 on targeted text messages, digital and TV ads backing Mike Carey."[58][59]

Protect Freedom PAC

On July 23, 2021, the Columbus Dispatch reported that the Protect Freedom PAC had spent over $640,000 on the race on behalf of Hood.[56] Citing advertising tracking data, Politico reported on July 14, 2021, that the PAC had reserved $216,000 in advertising time for Hood.[60]

Steve Stivers

Politico reported on July 14, 2021, that former Rep. Stivers (R) had "spent nearly $300,000 in remaining funds from his campaign account" on LaRe's campaign.[60] On July 23, 2021, the Columbus Dispatch reported that Stivers had "also donated $4,000 directly to LaRe's campaign."[56] On August 2, 2021, it was reported that Stivers had spent an additional $60,740 on media supporting LaRe on July 29, 2021.[61]

Primaries in Ohio

See also: Primary elections in Ohio

Congressional and state-level elections

In 23 states, at least one political party utilizes closed primaries to nominate partisan candidates for congressional and state-level (e.g. state legislators, governors, etc.) offices. In 19 states, at least one party utilizes open primaries to nominate partisan candidates for these offices. In 12 states, at least one party utilizes semi-closed primaries. In 5 states, top-two primaries or a variation are used.[62] These state primaries are a separate entity and are not included in the totals for open, closed, or semi-closed primaries.

Ohio law provides for closed primaries, meaning a voter to be affiliated with a party to vote in that party's primary. However a voter of any affiliation can choose the ballot they would like to vote on the day of the primary and their choice may be regarded as registration with that party.

Ohio law say: "The right of a person to vote at a primary election may be challenged upon the following grounds: ... That the person is not affiliated with or is not a member of the political party whose ballot the person desires to vote. Such party affiliation shall be determined by examining the elector's voting record for the current year and the immediately preceding two calendar years as shown on the voter's registration card..."[63] State law also says: "For purposes of signing or circulating a petition of candidacy for party nomination or election, an elector is considered to be a member of a political party if the elector voted in that party's primary election within the preceding two calendar years, or if the elector did not vote in any other party's primary election within the preceding two calendar years."[64]

The table below lists Ohio offices for which parties must conduct primary elections to nominate their candidates.

Elective offices for which parties must conduct primaries to nominate general election candidates
Office Number of seats
Governor of Ohio 1
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio 1
Ohio State Auditor 1
Attorney General of Ohio 1
Ohio Secretary of State 1
Ohio Treasurer 1
State legislators 132
Ohio state judges 76
United States Senators 2
United States Representatives 16
Local officials Varies by municipality


Media coverage

This section compiles candidates' policy stances from local media outlets.

Circleville Herald questionnaires

The Circleville Herald sent questionnaires to all candidates asking four questions:

  1. Describe what is motivating you to seek office
  2. Articulate your thoughts on the three issues you deem most important for the position in this election
  3. If elected, what are your goals for your term?
  4. Do you have any additional comments or a message to relay to the public?

The candidates' responses can be found by clicking on the links below:

What's at stake in the general election?

Partisan breakdown

The following chart shows the partisan breakdown of the congressional members from Ohio.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Ohio
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 5 5
Republican 2 10 12
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 15 17


The following chart shows the partisan balance in the House of Representatives.

Partisan composition, U.S. House
119th Congress
Party Members
Democratic 213
Republican 219
Vacancies 3
Total 435

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[65]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[66][67][68]

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rated this race as "Solid Republican" on May 7, 2021.[69]

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.94. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.94 points toward that party.[70]

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Nine of 88 Ohio counties—10.2 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Ashtabula County, Ohio 18.80% 12.78% 13.54%
Erie County, Ohio 9.48% 12.29% 13.86%
Montgomery County, Ohio 0.73% 4.62% 6.22%
Ottawa County, Ohio 19.51% 4.30% 6.24%
Portage County, Ohio 9.87% 5.52% 8.99%
Sandusky County, Ohio 22.58% 2.71% 4.64%
Stark County, Ohio 17.17% 0.47% 5.46%
Trumbull County, Ohio 6.22% 23.00% 22.43%
Wood County, Ohio 7.99% 4.84% 7.13%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Ohio with 51.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Ohio cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 93.3 percent of the time (28 out of 30 elections), more than any other state in the country. In that same time frame, Ohio supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 60 to 40 percent. Between 2000 and 2016, Ohio voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Ohio. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[71][72]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 35.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 33 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 34 points. Clinton won seven districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 60 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 17.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


District election history

The section below details election results for this office dating back to 2010.

2020

See also: Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2020

General election candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Democratic Party Democratic primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Republican Party Republican primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

2018

See also: Ohio's 15th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 15

Incumbent Steve Stivers defeated Rick Neal and Johnathan Miller Jr. in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Steve Stivers
Steve Stivers (R)
 
58.3
 
170,593
Image of Rick Neal
Rick Neal (D)
 
39.7
 
116,112
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
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Johnathan Miller Jr. (L)
 
2.0
 
5,738

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 292,443
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15

Rick Neal defeated Rob Jarvis in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Rick Neal
Rick Neal
 
63.5
 
22,343
Image of Rob Jarvis
Rob Jarvis
 
36.5
 
12,820

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 35,163
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15

Incumbent Steve Stivers advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Steve Stivers
Steve Stivers
 
100.0
 
49,549

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 49,549
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15

Johnathan Miller Jr. advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Ohio District 15 on May 8, 2018.

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Johnathan Miller Jr.

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ohio Secretary of State, "2021 Ohio Elections Calendar," accessed March 19, 2021
  2. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Early Voting," accessed March 19, 2021
  3. ↑ WFMJ NBC 21, "Governor Mike DeWine calls special election for Ohio's 15th Congressional District," April 26, 2021
  4. ↑ ABC 6, "Steve Stivers resigns from Congress to lead Ohio Chamber of Commerce," April 19, 2021
  5. ↑ Daily KOS, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed July 29, 2021
  6. ↑ abc 6, "Trump, Stivers endorse different candidates in OH-15: who will sway the voters?" accessed July 1, 2021
  7. ↑ LinkedIn profile, "Michael T.W. Carey," accessed August 2, 2021
  8. ↑ Jeff LaRe for Congress, “Meet Jeff,” accessed June 21, 2021
  9. ↑ Mike Carey, "Ballotpedia Candidate Connections Survey," submitted June 3, 2021
  10. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio 15th District GOP primary: Will Trump, Stivers endorsements matter?" accessed July 14, 2021
  11. ↑ The Herald, "Two more candidates to watch in OH-15’s special election," accessed July 22, 2021
  12. ↑ Ruth Edmonds for Congress, "Home," accessed July 22, 2021
  13. ↑ Bob Peterson, Conservative for Congress, "Home," accessed June 21, 2021
  14. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio Rep. Brian Stewart drops out of crowded GOP field for 15th Congressional District election," June 4, 2021
  15. ↑ Franklin County Board of Elections, "Official Results - Franklin County Only - Group Detail (PDF)," August 17, 2021
  16. ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  17. ↑ Fox News, "Stefanik endorses Trump candidate in Ohio GOP primary race," accessed July 19, 2021
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.8 18.9 Jeff LaRe for Congress, Facebook, "Jeff LeRe, House Endorsements," accessed June 18, 2021
  19. ↑ Bob Peterson for Congress, Facebook, "Bob Peterson for Congress, Senator Jay Hottinger Endorsement," accessed June 18, 2021
  20. ↑ Bob Peterson Conservative for Congress, "State Representative Mark Johnson Endorses Peterson for Congress," accessed June 18, 2021
  21. ↑ Bob Peterson for Congress, Facebook, "Bob Peterson for Congress, Tim Schaffer Endorsement," accessed June 18, 2021
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Ron Hood for Congress, "Home," accessed July 14, 2021
  23. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "12 Republicans, two Democrats vie for 15th Congressional District seat to replace Steve Stivers," accessed June 18, 2021
  24. ↑ Mike Carey for Congress, Facebook, "Mike Carey Bossie Endorsement," accessed June 18, 2021
  25. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Former President Donald Trump endorses Mike Carey in 15th Congressional District race," accessed June 17, 2021
  26. ↑ ABC 6, "Trump, Stivers endorse different candidates in OH-15: who will sway the voters?" accessed June 18, 2021
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 The Detroit News, "Trump’s kingmaker status faces test in Ohio special election," accessed July 19, 2021
  28. ↑ Bob Peterson Conservative for Congress, "Pickaway County Commissioner, Former State Rep. Gary Scherer Endorses Bob Peterson for Congress," accessed June 18, 2021
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Bob Peterson Conservative for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed July 14, 2021
  30. ↑ Tarazi for Congress, Facebook, "Tarazi For Congress, Cathi Chamberlain Endorsement," accessed June 18, 2021
  31. ↑ Fight Back America Now, Facebook, "Fight Back Now America: Endorsements," accessed June 18, 2021
  32. ↑ Mike Carey for Congress, Facebook, "Mike Carey CUPVF Endorsement," accessed June 18, 2021
  33. ↑ Jeff LaRe for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed July 14, 2021
  34. ↑ FRC Action PAC, "FRC Action PAC Endorses Ruth Edmonds for U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio" accessed June 18, 2021
  35. ↑ [http://subsites.com/work/rw/downloads/Press-Release-Ruth-Edmonds-060421.pdf Right Women Political Action Committee, "Press Release: Right Women PAC Endorses Ruth Edmonds in Ohio’s Fifteenth Congressional District," accessed July 19, 2021]
  36. ↑ Stephanie Kunze for Congress, "News and Updates," accessed July 14, 2021
  37. ↑ Maggie's List, "2022 Candidates," accessed June 23, 2021
  38. ↑ Stephanie Kunze for Congress, "Group Founded by Female Members of Congress Chooses Stephanie Kunze in Race for Ohio’s 15th District," accessed June 18, 2021
  39. ↑ Columbus Messenger, "Madison County Republicans endorse Peterson for Congressional seat" accessed July 21, 2021
  40. ↑ Ohio Right to Life PAC, "Ohio Right to Life PAC Endorses Bob Peterson in 15th Congressional District Special Election" accessed June 23, 2021
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 41.7 41.8 41.9 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  42. ↑ John Adams for Congress, Facebook, "About," accessed June 24, 2021
  43. ↑ Carey for Congress, "Values Worth Fighting For," accessed June 22, 2021
  44. ↑ Thad Cooperrider for Congress, "About," accessed June 24, 2021
  45. ↑ Ruth Edmonds for Congress, "On the Issues," accessed June 22, 2021
  46. ↑ Ron Hood Forever Trumper for Congress, "America First," accessed June 22, 2021
  47. ↑ Thomas Hwang for Congress 2021, "List of Issues," accessed June 22, 2021
  48. ↑ Stephanie Kunze for Congress, "About," accessed June 24, 2021
  49. ↑ LaRe for Congress, "On the Issues," accessed June 22, 2021
  50. ↑ Bob Peterson, Conservative for Congress, "Putting our Priorities First," accessed June 22, 2021
  51. ↑ Omar Tarazi for U.S. Congress, "Campaign Issues," accessed June 22, 2021
  52. ↑ Adams: <1%
    Edmonds: <1%
    Clark: -
    Undecided: 44%
  53. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  54. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  55. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  56. ↑ 56.0 56.1 56.2 The Columbus Dispatch, "Trump-backed coal lobbyist Mike Carey leads fundraising in 15th Congressional District," accessed July 26, 2021
  57. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio congressional district special elections attracting big money but low voter turnout," accessed July 28, 2021
  58. ↑ Cleaveland.com, "Trump-aligned PAC makes last-minute ad buy in special election for Ohio’s 15th congressional district," accessed July 29, 2021
  59. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Schedule E, Independent Expenditures, Filing FEC-1531480, Committee: Make America Great Again Action Inc," accessed July 29, 2021
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 Politico, "‘It will be remembered’: Trump allies cross him in special election," accessed July 21, 2021
  61. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Independent Expenditures, Filing: FEC-1531706, Committee: Stivers for Congress," accessed August 2, 2021
  62. ↑ Top-two primary systems, such as those utilized in California, Nebraska, and Washington, and variations of those systems, such as the top-four system used in Alaska and the majority-vote system used in Louisiana, are sometimes classified as open primary systems because voter participation in such primaries is not tied to partisan affiliation. For the purposes of this article, these primaries are considered to be a separate entity. For more information about top-two primaries and their variations, see this article.
  63. ↑ Ohio Laws and Administrative Codes, "Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.19," accessed September 5, 2025
  64. ↑ Ohio Laws and Administrative Codes, "Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.05," accessed September 5, 2025
  65. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  66. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  67. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  68. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  69. ↑ Inside Elections, "House Ratings," accessed June 18, 2021
  70. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  71. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  72. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  73. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Ohio 2016 March Primary Candidate List," accessed March 11, 2016
  74. ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Ohio," accessed November 11, 2012
  75. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013


Ohio's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Jon Husted (R)
Bernie Moreno (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
Bob Latta (R)
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
Republican Party (12)
Democratic Party (5)

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