More 2026 rumblings 

The election is more than two years away. But candidates already are making moves ahead of the next set of congressional races. I’m focusing on Ohio’s two most competitive districts: the 9th District, based in Toledo, and the 13th District, based in Akron. The Democratic incumbents in both districts, Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Rep. Emilia Sykes, narrowly won reelection in November even as Donald Trump carried the state by more than 11 points. Both are likely to run, and will be doing so after state Republicans have the chance to redraw the congressional district map this summer.

In the 9th District, Republicans at this point are basically waiting for 78-year-old Kaptur to retire; she eked out a victory in November in a district Trump won by 7 points. But it looks as though they may have to wait another two years. 

Kaptur, who’s held the seat since 1983, hasn’t announced her plans. But she has taken a pro-active step to run for reelection via a Dec. 5 Federal Election Commission filing that indicates she plans to raise money for the 2026 election.

A Kaptur spokesperson pointed to the federal filing and offered this in a statement:

“Congresswoman Kaptur was sworn into the 119th Congress last week and is eager to work in a bipartisan way to lift America’s Big Middle, reduce costs, and deliver economic investment for communities across Northwest Ohio.”

There should be no shortage of Republican candidates. Some Republicans rumored to be interested include Ohio Rep. Josh Williams, of the Toledo area, and two former state lawmakers who ran for the seat in 2024: Craig Riedel, who lost in the primary election, and Derek Merrin, who narrowly lost to Kaptur.

In a message, Williams acknowledged interest in the seat. But he said he’s focused on his new job serving in leadership and his committee assignments in the Ohio House. Riedel said he and his wife “are prayerfully discerning our way forward.” 

Another name to watch is Rob McColley, who just got picked to lead the Ohio Senate, especially if the district is redrawn to include Henry County, where he lives. 

Possible rematch 

In the 13th District, Sykes is entertaining running for the U.S. Senate but could just run for reelection instead. Meanwhile, former Republican state lawmaker Kevin Coughlin, who lost to Sykes in November by 2 points, is likely to challenge Sykes again, according to multiple sources, including Summit County Republican Party Chair Bryan Williams. 

Other candidates could end up being in the mix, especially if the seat is redrawn to be more Republican-leaning. State Sen. Kristina Roegner, a Hudson Republican who has considered running for the seat in the past, is considering it again this year, she said in a text message.

Askin’ Acton

Last week, Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health department director, became the first Democrat to announce a bid for governor in 2026. She’s best known for helping Republican Gov. Mike DeWine chart the state’s course through the coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

In an interview with Signal Statewide on Wednesday, Acton said she doesn’t think Democratic primary voters will hold her work with a Republican administration against her. Nor does she think Ohioans will outright reject a Democratic candidate for governor despite the state’s increasingly clear rightward tilt.

“I very much believe in the power of people and the power of communities, and I have seen Ohioans over and over again be very independent-thinking,” Acton said.

Signal Statewide asked Acton about what her time in the pandemic hot box taught her, whether she thinks lingering controversy over the pandemic might weigh her down, and why she thinks she might win regardless. Click here to read the full interview.

Grand Old Party in Washington, D.C.  

Ohio Republicans are gearing up to head to Washington, D.C., for Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. The state party’s delegation numbers about 1,200 people, according to spokesperson Nick Johnson. At this point it’s unclear whether that number will include two U.S. senators from Ohio – as of our deadline, Gov. Mike DeWine had yet to pick a replacement for Vice President-Elect JD Vance, although on Wednesday several media outlets reported billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy could be back in the mix. 

The event has the trappings of a mini-political convention. State Republicans are holding a Sunday morning breakfast headlined by recently elected U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, according to an agenda. On Monday morning, Governor DeWine and Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine are hosting another breakfast ahead of the 11 a.m. inauguration ceremony. And on Monday evening, the state delegation will gather at Public Bar Live, near Dupont Circle, at 7 p.m. to watch Ohio State University face Notre Dame in the college football national championship game.

Vance, who graduated from OSU, isn’t listed on the official itinerary, but he has openly mused about skipping the inauguration festivities to attend the game in Atlanta.