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Ohio's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 5 Democratic primary)

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2024
Ohio's 7th 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 7th Congressional District
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Ohio elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on May 5, 2026, in Ohio's 7th Congressional District to determine which Democratic 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 7th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 7

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 7 on May 5, 2026.


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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.

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Facebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I am a retired United Methodist Minister. I think it is of the utmost importance that we respect people who have different views and work hard to find common ground and purpose."


Key Messages

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


One can have hopes for all citizens and residents of the USA without thinking that there must be a national solution. Finding a way to tax people is not the solution.


Social Security and Medicare need to be protected. An understanding of the employment tax that goes beyond it being an insurance premium.


Immigration and work visas should be simple to understand. They should be enforced in compassionate ways that cause the least amount of harm.

Image of Michael Eisner

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I'm Michael Eisner (call me Mike!), and I'm running for Congress to restore the American Dream for working families here in Ohio's 7th District. I live in Solon with my wife and our blended family of five children. I've taught our kids to be "upstanders," not bystanders—and that's how I've lived my life. For 30 years, I've been a lawyer fighting for everyday people against powerful interests. I've helped over 3,000 people get justice. My philosophy is simple: treat every client like they are the only one, and bring compassion into every case. As a cancer survivor, I'm healthy and strong today because of NIH-funded research and access to healthcare. That experience showed me how critical it is that everyone—not just the privileged—has access to quality, affordable care. Watching this administration cut healthcare access and funding for medical research pushed me to take this fight to Congress. I believe in compassion over cruelty and a strong economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires. Unlike the current seat holder who won't hold town halls, I've already done dozens of unscripted community meetings. I show up. I listen. I learn. As your representative, I will continue to be available, visible, and accountable—fighting for solutions that work for you. I'm running to be A Voice for All. Together, we can restore the American Dream for our families and generations to come."


Key Messages

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


AFFORDABILITY AND REPRESENTATION Working families struggle with crushing costs while billionaires get tax cuts. Tariffs hurt small businesses and farmers. Student debt blocks homeownership—first-time buyers now average 39. Yet the current seat holder hides and casts deciding votes that hurt you. I hold town halls and show up. I'll fight for: Congressional tariff oversight; affordable college and trade schools; job training for AI-displaced workers; reasonably-priced housing; collective bargaining rights; and accessible healthcare. Your representative should be visible, available, and accountable—fighting to restore your American Dream, not serving donors. That's the difference. I'll be A Voice for All.


HEALTHCARE IS A RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE I beat cancer thanks to NIH-funded research and access to care. Too many Ohioans aren't as fortunate, 340,000+ risk losing coverage due to budget cuts. You and your doctor should make your medical decisions, not insurance executives and politicians. The current seat holder was the deciding vote to gut the ACA and Medicaid. He chose to follow his party over your health. I pledge to choose Ohioans —every time. I'll fight to expand affordable coverage, protect your relationship with your doctors, give you real choices in plans, and stop insurers from blocking the care you need. Affordable healthcare isn't just about saving lives. It's essential to the American Dream.


DEFENDING YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND RESTORING THE AMERICAN DREAM Our Constitution guarantees equal rights for all—regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or views. Yet today: citizens detained without probable cause, press threatened for reporting facts, peaceful protesters called terrorists, LGBTQ+ Americans facing discrimination, families separated without due process. The current seat holder stayed silent. I'll fight: against executive overreach and retaliation; for probable cause; a free press; equal rights for everyone; and, judicial independence. These aren't Democratic or Republican ideas—they're American ideas. Protecting these rights restores the American Dream. I'll be A Voice for All.

Image of Ed FitzGerald

WebsiteFacebookYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I have many years of public service, including serving as a Special Agent with the FBI focusing on corruption cases, an Assistant County Prosecutor, City Councilman, Mayor, and County Executive. In all my public positions, I have focused on integrity and reform. For the past 12 years, I have been a small business owner, primarily in digital media. My wife Shannon and I raised our four children, and now have two grandchildren. I worry about the kind of country they will inherit, because of the direction our current political leadership is taking. I decided to re-enter politics with that mission in mind."


Key Messages

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


Our democracy is under attack, and must be defended and preserved. This current administration, in myriad ways, is seeking to discredit our democratic institutions. We must stop this movement, and strengthen it for the future.


Medicare for All. I believe the time has come to finally guarantee universal health care for all American citizens, and I believe the gradual lowering of eligibility for Medicare is the most practical method to get there. The current system has enormous gaps in it, from lack of insurance, to underinsurance, to excessive costs. We already pay more per capita than other nations that have universal coverage, and it is time to finally make it a reality.


Affordability. Across a wide range of costs, life is becoming unaffordable for too many Americans. We should do more to reward families that are working full time but still cannot afford the basics. I favor doing more with programs for first time home buyers, family medical leave, and child care, among others.

Image of Laura Rodriguez-Carbone

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I'm Laura Rodriguez-Carbone, a public servant, strategic communications professional, and small-business owner who has spent more than two decades helping public institutions serve people better. My family lost its farm to corporate agriculture, and later, even while working hard, we lost our home. Those experiences shaped how I see public service: government should protect working people, not powerful interests. I have spent 23 years working across federal departments and agencies helping to run programs everyday people depend on, and I have served my community through local civic leadership, including being elected three times to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Central Committee. I'm running for Congress because this district needs someone who understands what families are up against and what it takes to make government actually deliver."


Key Messages

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


I'm Experienced. I have spent 23 years in public service working inside the systems people rely on, across multiple federal departments and agencies that affect everyday lives. I have worked to ensure people in underserved and rural communities could access life-saving care and services, fought corporate healthcare providers so patients could receive the treatment they needed, and helped enforce civil rights protections for children with disabilities in our public schools. This district does not need another candidate learning on the job. It needs someone who understands how government works, what happens when services are stripped away, and how to make public institutions deliver for the people they are meant to serve.


Tested in Real Fights and Ready for this Moment. My family lost its farm to corporate agriculture, and even after we moved for factory work, we still became homeless. I come to this race shaped by the consequences of an economy and a political system that have failed working people for far too long. What happened to my family 30 years ago is still happening to more and more people today. Costs keep rising, rights keep getting chipped away, and job-killing technologies like AI threaten to push even more working people aside. This is not a moment for politics as usual or wishful thinking. It is a moment to put the struggles of working people on the floor of the House and fight for them with urgency, clarity, and force.


Not for Sale: I do not take corporate PAC money, because the people of this district deserve to know exactly who their representative answers to. I am running to serve working families, seniors, veterans, farmers, and communities that have been treated like an afterthought, not wealthy donors, corporate interests, or political insiders. I am not running to join the system as it is. I am running to fight for the people it has ignored.

Image of Scott Schulz

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No


Key Messages

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


Max Miller does not prioritize the needs of everyday Ohioans. The One Big Beautiful Bill initially advanced out of the House by just one vote – Max’s vote. That bill gutted our social safety net by cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits, increased tariffs, and ballooned our national debt to fund tax giveaways to millionaires. This makes life unaffordable. We need tax and trade policies for Main Street not Wall Street. I will shift tax cuts from the wealthy toward investments in education and job training, cap college tuition increases to the rate of inflation, and champion universal pre-K. I will also ensure our small businesses benefit from more reasonable and stable tariff policies, while opening the markets Ohio’s farmers need to thrive.


People are afraid to go to school and work because of the radical immigration policies Max Miller supports. This has drastic economic consequences for our country, contributing to our affordability crisis. There is also a moral imperative to make sure people can pursue freedom without fear. America has always been a beacon of hope for people fleeing oppression, offering compassion and opportunity. Rather than continue to fund ICE’s indiscriminate and increasingly dangerous roundups, I would invest in efforts to modernize our asylum process. It should not take months and even years for refugees to receive a hearing, caught in legal limbo while trying to live their lives and contribute to Ohio’s communities.


Healthcare is a right not a privilege. The One Big Beautiful Bill supported by Max Miller will make access and costs worse by cutting Medicaid, leading to fewer hospitals, particularly in Wayne and Ashland counties. The cost of care for all of us, including those of us with private insurance, will increase because the reduction in preventative care among former Medicaid recipients will eventually increase usage rates among underinsured patients with more serious health issues. We all lose. We must build a healthcare system focused on quality, access, and affordability. I will strengthen the ACA with a greater emphasis on preventative care, while increasing the number of primary care doctors through targeted loan-forgiveness programs.

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 Butchko Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Ann Marie Donegan Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Michael Eisner Democratic Party $30,566 $29,778 $788 As of December 31, 2025
Ed FitzGerald Democratic Party $114,623 $44,027 $70,596 As of December 31, 2025
Keith Mundy Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Brian Poindexter Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Laura Rodriguez-Carbone Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Scott Schulz Democratic Party $23,350 $4,910 $19,310 As of December 31, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . 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_07.jpg

2026

2027_01_03_oh_congressional_district_07.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 R+5. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 5 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Ohio's 7th the 188th most Republican 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 7th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
43.9%55.3%

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


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)