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Ohio's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Libertarian primary)

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← 2024
Ohio's 1st Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
Libertarian 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: Toss-up
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic
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 1st Congressional District
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th
Ohio elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Libertarian Party primary takes place on May 5, 2026, in Ohio's 1st Congressional District to determine which Libertarian candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
February 4, 2026
May 5, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Ohio law provides for closed primaries, meaning a voter must 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.[1][2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Ohio's 1st Congressional District Libertarian primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary, Republican primary, and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. House Ohio District 1

John Hancock and Jason Stoops are running in the Libertarian primary for U.S. House Ohio District 1 on May 5, 2026.

Candidate
Image of John Hancock
John Hancock Candidate Connection
Image of Jason Stoops
Jason Stoops (Write-in) Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

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

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

John Hancock

Image of John Hancock

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Libertarian Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I'm John Hancock, a Cincinnati native running for Congress in Ohio’s First District as a Libertarian. Since joining the Libertarian Party in 2022, I’ve served as a county officer and national delegate for Ohio. In 2024, I was named to the All-Ohio Academic Team. This recognition is directly linked to my honors society membership in Phi Theta Kappa. Awarding students for academic excellence and leadership, earning recognition from the Ohio Senate as "one of Ohio's finest citizens." As a working-class American, I’m an Engineering Technician and part-time engineering student, balancing a full-time job with my studies. I’m a Christian with ink on my skin, a passion for fitness, music, and travel, and a commitment to serving my community through volunteering at organizations like BLOC Ministries which help the homeless and victims of human trafficking. My name means liberty, and I believe politicians should reflect the people they serve. I bring real-world experience to the table, understanding the challenges everyday Americans face. My campaign is about cutting government waste, fighting overreach, and bringing power back to the people."

Key Messages

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

Taxes and Overspending: The Left wants taxes for big social programs, often ignoring waste. The Right funnels your money into defense and subsidies, despite talk of fiscal discipline. Both rely on your paycheck to push their agendas. As a Libertarian, I believe Taxation is Theft. If the government needs funds, let them make their case and raise funds through crowdfunding. I'll fight to cut taxes, slash bloated budgets, and let you control your future.

Government Transparency: You deserve to know what your government’s doing. Americans are fed up with secrets, especially after scandals like Epstein, where hidden deals and elite cover-ups mock our trust. I’ll fight for a government that hides nothing—every dollar, every decision, fully exposed. I’ll push for open records, end backroom deals, and declassify documents without bias, no matter who they expose. Unlike those who thrive in the shadows, I’m here to bring light—transparency is the core of a free America.

Liberty, Not Lobbyists: This is my promise to never cave to special interests. I’m here for you, not them, with every deal and dollar wide open for all to see. I’ll push for crystal-clear records, end backroom schemes, and make sure your voice, not big money, calls the shots. Unlike the sellouts hiding their bought loyalty, I stand firm—liberty, not lobbyists, keeps America free.

Jason Stoops

Image of Jason Stoops

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Libertarian Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am a lifelong resident of Clinton County, a small business owner, and an auto technician by trade. For the past ten years I have owned and operated an auto repair facility in Wilmington. I started my career working with my hands as a technician and eventually built my own business from the ground up. Growing up in a lower income household gave me firsthand experience with the challenges many working families face. Those experiences shaped my perspective and helped me understand how difficult it can be for everyday people when systems that are supposed to serve them feel like they are working against them. I remain active in my community through volunteering, church involvement, and helping neighbors whenever I can. I am engaged and a father, and like many families in our community, my focus is on building a better and more stable future for the next generation. I was encouraged to run for this office and saw it as an opportunity I could not decline, a chance to make a difference in the community where I have lived my entire life. The values that guide me are brutal honesty, accountability, equal treatment under the law, transparency, common sense, and protecting those who cannot protect themselves."

Key Messages

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

For justice to work, the system itself must be accountable. Laws must be applied consistently and fairly, and institutions must remain transparent and responsible to the public they serve. When a system lacks accountability, public trust breaks down and equal treatment under the law becomes impossible. I believe in a system where decisions are based on facts, evidence, and the law, not assumptions or favoritism, and where the public can have confidence that fairness is the standard for everyone.

When systems lack accountability, the people who suffer most are those who cannot protect themselves. Children, victims of abuse, and elderly individuals depend on the system to act responsibly and fairly on their behalf. Protecting vulnerable people requires careful judgment, attention to facts, and a willingness to make difficult decisions when safety and wellbeing are at stake. A system that is accountable and transparent is better able to protect those who rely on it the most.

Public trust requires honesty and transparency from the institutions that serve our communities. People deserve to understand how decisions are made and to know those decisions are guided by facts, law, and common sense. Transparency strengthens accountability, and accountability ensures equal treatment under the law. When the system operates openly and honestly, the public can have confidence that it is working as it should.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Ohio

Election information in Ohio: May 5, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: April 6, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by April 6, 2026
  • Online: April 6, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: April 28, 2026
  • By mail: Received by April 28, 2026
  • Online: N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: May 5, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 5, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

April 7, 2026 to May 3, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
John Hancock Libertarian Party $1,316 $0 $1,316 As of December 31, 2025
Jason Stoops Libertarian Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

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.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

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 before and after redistricting ahead of the 2026 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 used in the 2024 election next to the map in place for the 2026 election. Click on a map below to enlarge it.

2024

2023_01_03_oh_congressional_district_01.jpg

2026

2027_01_03_oh_congressional_district_01.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Ohio.

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Ohio in 2026. Information below was calculated on Feb. 4, 2026, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Seventy-eight candidates — 46 Democrats and 32 Republicans — ran for Ohio’s 15 U.S. House districts. That’s 5.2 candidates per district. There were 4.1 candidates per district in 2024, 4.5 in 2022, 4.2 in 2020, 5.1 in 2018, 3.7 in 2016, and 2.9 in 2014.

These were the first elections to take place since the Ohio Redistricting Commission voted unanimously to approve a new congressional map for 2026. The state was required to redraw its congressional district boundaries ahead of the 2026 elections due to a constitutional amendment that gave shorter expiration dates to maps passed without bipartisan support.

No districts were open in 2026, meaning all incumbents — five Democrats and 10 Republicans — ran for re-election. There were two open districts in 2024, one in 2022, two in 2018, one in 2016, and none in 2014.

Twenty primaries — 12 Democratic and eight Republican — were contested in 2026. In total, there were 12 contested primaries in 2024, 10 in 2022, 23 in 2020, 22 in 2018, 18 in 2016, and 14 in 2014.

Rep. Max Miller (R-7th) and eight Democrats ran for the 7th district, the most candidates that ran for a district in 2026.

Seven incumbents — three Democrats and four Republicans — faced primary challengers in 2026. There were four incumbents in a contested primary in 2024, six in 2022, 10 in 2020, eight in 2018, four in 2016, and five in 2014.

Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all 15 districts, meaning no districts were guaranteed to either party.

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 D+3. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 3 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Ohio's 1st the 179th most Democratic district nationally.[3]

2024 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 1st Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
47.5%51.6%

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
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Richard Michael DeWine
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Jim Tressel
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Frank LaRose
Attorney GeneralRepublican 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

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

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Ohio Laws and Administrative Codes, "Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.19," accessed December 19, 2025
  2. ↑ Ohio Laws and Administrative Codes, "Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3513.05," accessed December 19, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


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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