Ohio House Dem leader Russo on plans: ‘There will be more time for this discussion at a later point’
By Megan Henry
Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo is continuing to stay quiet about any potential future political plans she might have in wake of her announcement last week to step down from her leadership at the end of the month.
“I want to get through this transition first, make sure that the new leadership team has all the support and they get into place,” the Democratic lawmaker from Upper Arlington said when asked if she is considering a run for statewide office.
“I’m going to take some time off. I’ll be with my family during July, and there will be more time for this discussion at a later point.”
All four statewide executive offices of governor, attorney general, auditor, and secretary of state are up for open election in 2026, with all of the current Republican incumbents term-limited out of running for the same positions again.
Former Ohio Health Department Director Dr. Amy Acton is currently the only Democratic candidate running for Ohio governor. Republican candidates include businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former Morgan County school board president Heather Hill.
Democrats are waiting to see if former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will run for Senate or Ohio governor, or nothing at all.
Current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is running for attorney general in 2026; current Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state in 2026; and current Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor in 2026.
Current Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost had been running for governor, but recently dropped out of the race after the Ohio Republican Party endorsed Ramaswamy.
Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. No other Democrats have yet announced their candidacy in 2026 for Ohio auditor, treasurer, or attorney general.
The last time any Democratic candidates won any of Ohio’s statewide executive offices was in 2006, when Ted Strickland was elected governor, Marc Dann was elected attorney general, Rich Cordray was elected treasurer, and Jennifer Brunner was elected secretary of state. They were all swept out of office in the 2010 cycle.
The vote for a new Ohio House Minority Leader is expected to happen the last week of June, right before the lawmakers go on summer break, Russo said.
“I’m not making any endorsements,” she said. “The decision about who will leave this caucus next is up to the entire caucus, not one individual member.”
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he has no idea who is going to replace Russo.
“I said to members of our caucus, obviously, they’re free to vote however they want, but we’re just going to wait to see what comes out of the minority caucus and deal with that,” he said.
Russo is term-limited and her term ends on Dec. 31, 2026.
“I’m looking forward to shifting my focus to policy work and being back on committees,” she said. “I’m excited about the potential of the new leadership team and the energy that brings and to work alongside those folks.”
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