Eleven Ohio state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, the fewest at any point since 2010. This is a 54% decrease in the number of incumbents facing challengers compared to 2024.
Three of the contested incumbents are Democrats, and eight are Republicans. Nine are state representatives, and two are state senators.
Ohio has 42 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, down 18% from 2024.
Of these, there are 23 for Democrats and 19 for Republicans. For Democrats, this is down from 19 in 2024, a 17% decrease. Contested Republican primaries are down 41% from 32 in 2024.
In total, 273 major party candidates filed to run. One hundred forty-five are Democrats, and 128 are Republicans. All 99 House seats and 17 of 33 Senate seats are up for election.
Twenty-nine seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. This means newcomers will make up at least 22% of the legislature next year. The average number of open seats each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 28.
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