Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (May 5 Republican primary)
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| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Ohio |
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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. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| Ohio executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
A Republican Party primary takes place on May 5, 2026, in Ohio to determine which candidates will earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election on November 3, 2026.
In Ohio, gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates run for election together on a single ticket in both the primary and the general election.
This page focuses on Ohio's Republican Party gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Ohio's Democratic gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (May 5 Democratic primary)
- Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
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
Governor
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Ohio
Heather Hill and Vivek Ramaswamy are running in the Republican primary for Governor of Ohio on May 5, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Heather Hill  | |
 | Vivek Ramaswamy | |
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| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Sprague (R)
- Dave Yost (R)
Lieutenant governor
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
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.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "My name is Heather Hill, and I’m running to be your next Governor in 2026. I’m not your typical political candidate—I’m a wife, a military-mom, a foster parent, and an entrepreneur. But more importantly, I’m someone who shares your values, your struggles, and your dreams for a better future. I’m running because Ohio needs a leader who understands what it means to fight, serve, and work hard for everyday Americans like you and me. I grew up in Appalachia, where family, faith, and hard work were a way of life. At 16, I worked at McDonald’s to help my family while earning my nursing tech certificate from Morgan High School. After graduation, I put myself through college—starting at Columbus State before earning my bachelor’s degree from Ohio University. Nothing was handed to me. Like many of you, I had to work for it. For over 30 years, I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart, Darrin. Together, we’ve raised two children and opened our hearts to foster kids who needed a safe home. Today, we live in a log cabin on a 100-acre farm in Southeastern Ohio. In 2015, we started Ohio Hunting Lodge—a small business rooted in our love for the outdoors and our belief in the Second Amendment. We own arms of every kind because we believe in your God-given right to protect yourself, your family, and your home. As your Governor, I will fight to defend that right from extremists who want to take it away. ..."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Ohio
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Election analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this state's elections when those are available.
State profile
| Demographic data for Ohio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 11,605,090 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 40,861 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 82.4% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 12.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.1% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,429 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.6% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Ohio. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Ohio
Ohio voted Republican in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, nine are located in Ohio, accounting for 4.37 percent of the total pivot counties.[1]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Ohio had eight Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Ohio coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Ohio
- United States congressional delegations from Ohio
- Public policy in Ohio
- Endorsers in Ohio
- Ohio fact checks
- More...
See also
| Ohio | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
