Ohio voters spoke clearly in the 2026 elections: we want leaders who put our well-being ahead of billionaires’ bank accounts, and policies that benefit people, not corporations, writes a Postindustrial contributor.
We want our tax dollars to help human beings, not to kill people in other countries or incarcerate and deport our friends. We want a government that works for us, not against us — including police and federal agencies.
The strategy of scapegoating immigrants failed
Vivek Ramaswamy, who embraced mass deportation, lost the governor’s race. Jon Husted, who ran anti-immigrant attack ads, lost his Senate seat.
Madison Sheahan, the former second-in-command at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, finished third in the 9th Congressional District Republican primary.
The primary winner, Derek Merrin, lost to Rep. Marcy Kaptur last night. In the Ohio Attorney General race, John J. Kulewicz beat current Auditor Keith Faber, who blamed Renee Good for being murdered by ICE.
Ohioans chose leaders with common sense, who reflect the fullness of who we are. Dr. Amy Acton overcame a difficult upbringing and is now headed to the governor’s mansion.
Voters re-elected Ohio House members with immigrant roots, including Munira Abdullahi, Ismail Mohamed, and Anita Somani, because Ohioans come from all over the globe.
Indian-born Manisha Kotian won a seat on the Hamilton County bench. In Summit County, Arab American Judge Joy Malek Oldfield is leading in her re-election race. Tania Nemer — a former immigration lawyer and judge who is the daughter of a Lebanese immigrant — is locked in a tight contest against a fifteen-year incumbent that hasn’t been called.
And Marilyn Zayas, also a former immigration attorney, leads her race for the Ohio Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Akron voters passed Issue 13 to strengthen the Civilian Police Oversight Board, along with Issues 11 and 12 to protect renters.
In Sylvania, a pro-immigrant measure (Issue 14) failed by eight votes and appears headed for a recount.
Solutions on public safety, housing, immigration, health care, and more are within reach if elected officials lead with Ohio values.
In this election, Ohioans voted to put people first
But sheriffs, jail boards, and small-town police chiefs weren’t on the ballot, and many are still doing the bidding of ICE and the Border Patrol — often with no public debate.
We’ll press Gov.-elect Amy Acton and every new officeholder to deliver pro-people policies, and we’ll keep working to end ICE jail contracts in Ohio, as we did at the end of the first Trump administration.
Questions have been raised about how Dr. Acton will govern on issues of law enforcement and public safety. She expressed a commitment to professional standards and keeping Ohioans safe, but the details matter. Does her version of “public safety” include protection from masked ICE and Border Patrol agents who use violence — brandishing guns and ramming vehicles — to make civil immigration arrests?
Democratic Rep-elect Don Leonard, who just defeated Rep. Mike Carey in the race for the 15th Congressional District, said ICE should operate like a civil agency, not by “harassing and intimidating and shooting … unarmed, innocent people who are here without legal documents.”
We agree: civil enforcement belongs in courtrooms and office buildings, not on Ohio streets with guns and cars as weapons.
Does Dr. Acton’s agenda include protection from police who misuse Flock cameras to spy on or stalk women? She told a police organization she opposes changes to qualified immunity, but how will we be safe if police are allowed to keep killing Ohioans?
Ending qualified immunity doesn’t end policing; it means officers must make better, safer choices for everyone, including using real de-escalation tactics. The “shoot first, ask questions later” approach has killed too many Ohioans and has to end.
Ohio voters said they don’t want business as usual. They want to put people first, and that requires real change from the people they elected to lead.
Results cited are unofficial and subject to certification. As of this writing, some of races remained too close to call.
