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Ohio's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026

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Ohio redrew its congressional district boundaries in October 2025. Voters will elect representatives under the new map in 2026. Click here to read more about mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.
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2024
Ohio's 2nd Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 4, 2026
Primary: May 5, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Voting in Ohio

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Ohio's 2nd Congressional District
1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th15th
Ohio elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 2nd Congressional District of Ohio, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is May 5, 2026. The filing deadline is February 4, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

General election

The primary will occur on May 5, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Incumbent David Taylor is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on May 5, 2026.

Candidate
Image of David Taylor
David Taylor

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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Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Ohio

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
David Taylor Republican Party $533,388 $205,657 $455,539 As of September 30, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. 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.

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.[1]
  • 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.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Ohio's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
12/16/202512/9/202512/2/202511/25/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Ohio in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Ohio, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Ohio U.S. House Major party 50 $85 2/4/2026 Source
Ohio U.S. House Minor party 25 $85 2/4/2026 Source
Ohio U.S. House Unaffiliated 1% of the vote cast for governor in the district in the last election $85 5/4/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 2

David Taylor (R) defeated Samantha Meadows (D) and Alexander Schrank (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of David Taylor
David Taylor (R)
 
73.6
 
268,211
Image of Samantha Meadows
Samantha Meadows (D)  Candidate Connection
 
26.4
 
96,401
Alexander Schrank (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
4

Total votes: 364,616
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.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Samantha Meadows (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Samantha Meadows
Samantha Meadows  Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
15,022

Total votes: 15,022
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

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on March 19, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of David Taylor
David Taylor
 
25.5
 
26,247
Image of Tim O'Hara
Tim O'Hara
 
22.0
 
22,626
Image of Larry Kidd
Larry Kidd
 
19.0
 
19,583
Image of Shane Wilkin
Shane Wilkin
 
9.6
 
9,932
Image of Ron Hood
Ron Hood
 
8.8
 
9,020
Image of Phil Heimlich
Phil Heimlich
 
4.9
 
5,080
Image of Tom Hwang
Tom Hwang
 
3.1
 
3,202
Image of Kim Georgeton
Kim Georgeton
 
2.2
 
2,311
Image of Charles Tassell
Charles Tassell
 
1.7
 
1,737
Image of Niraj Antani
Niraj Antani
 
1.7
 
1,700
Image of Derek Myers
Derek Myers
 
1.5
 
1,565

Total votes: 103,003
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

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Incumbent Brad Wenstrup (R) defeated Samantha Meadows (D) in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brad Wenstrup
Brad Wenstrup (R)
 
74.5
 
192,117
Image of Samantha Meadows
Samantha Meadows (D)  Candidate Connection
 
25.5
 
65,745

Total votes: 257,862
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.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Samantha Meadows (D) defeated Alan Darnowsky (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Samantha Meadows
Samantha Meadows  Candidate Connection
 
72.0
 
11,694
Image of Alan Darnowsky
Alan Darnowsky  Candidate Connection
 
28.0
 
4,541

Total votes: 16,235
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.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Incumbent Brad Wenstrup (R) defeated James Condit Jr. (R) and David Windisch (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on May 3, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brad Wenstrup
Brad Wenstrup
 
77.4
 
56,805
Image of James Condit Jr.
James Condit Jr.
 
12.6
 
9,250
David Windisch
 
10.1
 
7,382

Total votes: 73,437
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.

General election

General election for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Incumbent Brad Wenstrup (R) defeated Jaime Castle (D) and James Condit Jr. (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brad Wenstrup
Brad Wenstrup (R)
 
61.1
 
230,430
Image of Jaime Castle
Jaime Castle (D)  Candidate Connection
 
38.9
 
146,781
Image of James Condit Jr.
James Condit Jr. (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
37

Total votes: 377,248
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.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Jaime Castle (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on April 28, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jaime Castle
Jaime Castle  Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
40,956

Total votes: 40,956
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.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2

Incumbent Brad Wenstrup (R) defeated H. Robert Harris (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 2 on April 28, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brad Wenstrup
Brad Wenstrup
 
94.2
 
53,674
H. Robert Harris
 
5.8
 
3,326

Total votes: 57,000
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.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_oh_congressional_district_02.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

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

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+24. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 24 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Ohio's 2nd the 12th most Republican district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
29.5% 69.8%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Ohio, 2024

Ohio presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 12 Democratic wins
  • 19 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R D D R R R D D D R D R R R D R R D R R R D D R R D D R R R
See also: Party control of Ohio state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Ohio's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

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

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Ohio's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Ohio, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Richard Michael DeWine
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Jim Tressel
Secretary of State Republican Party Frank LaRose
Attorney General Republican Party Dave Yost

State legislature

Ohio State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 9
     Republican Party 24
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 33

Ohio House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 34
     Republican Party 65
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 99

Trifecta control

Ohio Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

See also

Ohio 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Ohio congressional delegation
Voting in Ohio
Ohio elections:
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Democratic primary battlegrounds
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U.S. House Republican primaries
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U.S. Senate elections
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Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Senators
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)