Ohio voters will soon decide whether they want an established elected official or political newcomer to run their elections.
Two Republicans and two Democrats are running in the May 5 primary for chance to become Ohio’s next secretary of state. The winners will face off with Libertarian candidate Tom Pruss in the Nov. 3 general election.
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On the GOP side, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is competing against Marcell Strbich, a retired Air Force intelligence officer. Democrats will choose between Rep. Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, and Cincinnati physician Bryan Hambley.
The secretary of state oversees Ohio elections and the 88 county boards of elections that administer them. Other duties include reviewing proposed ballot issues, handling business records and serving on the Ohio Redistricting Commission.
Current Secretary of State Frank LaRose is term limited after eight years in office and running for state auditor.
Treasurer Robert Sprague, left, and Marcell Strbich are running in the 2026 GOP primary for Ohio secretary of state.
Sprague, Strbich want to restrict mail-in voting
Sprague spent his first years in public office as city treasurer and auditor for Findlay before joining the Ohio House. He became state treasurer in 2019 and, like LaRose, can’t continue his current job because of term limits.
Sprague initially eyed a run for governor, but he landed on secretary of state after Republicans began to coalesce around biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
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Strbich spent 20 years as an intelligence officer for the Air Force, according to his campaign website.
Sprague said he largely wants to maintain the status quo for elections, but he supports one major change: limiting who can vote absentee. He wants Ohio to make Election Day a holiday and emphasize in-person voting that day, with exceptions for elderly voters, military and emergency workers, among others.
Ohio is one of 28 states that permit no-excuse absentee voting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Sprague contends mail-in voting is prone to fraud, even as LaRose and other Republicans champion Ohio’s system.
“We didn’t disenfranchise anybody before 2005, did we?” Sprague said, referring to when the law took effect.
Strbich also wants to end no-excuse absentee voting and require people to vote on paper ballots. He believes the state doesn’t adequately regulate third-party organizations that hold get-out-the-vote events and register people en masse.
“It is an easy system to register,” Strbich said. “It is an easy system to vote. I want to make it an easy system to verify.”
Strbich has criticized LaRose on multiple occasions, including when LaRose blocked efforts by smaller counties to ban voting machines that tally votes. Strbich said local leaders should have a voice, although he doesn’t believe hand-counting ballots would work statewide “without having been means tested.”
Strbich and Sprague both support proposed legislation that would require photo ID for mailed ballots.
Rep. Allison Russo, left, and Bryan Hambley are running in the 2026 Democratic primary for Ohio secretary of state.
Russo, Hambley highlight divisions in Democratic Party
Russo, a former health policy consultant, was first elected to the Ohio House in 2018 and served as House minority leader for more than three years. She stepped down from leadership last year to launch her campaign for secretary of state.
Hambley is a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health and led a group of health care providers that supported the failed redistricting amendment in 2024.
Unlike Sprague, Democrats want to see a change in the status quo. Hambley said allowing only one ballot drop box per county is difficult for voters in large areas. Russo said funding cuts from the state and federal government will leave counties short on resources for election equipment and training.
Both candidates accused LaRose of politicizing the office and bending state elections to the will of President Donald Trump.
Hambley isn’t shy about criticizing Russo as well. He panned her decision in 2023 to support statehouse maps that gave Republicans an edge. He also highlighted Russo’s primary endorsement from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, which does not typically support Democratic candidates.
Hambley contends Democrats in general − not just Russo − have lost touch with communities across Ohio.
“The average Ohioan doesn’t like the average Democrat in part because they don’t think the average Ohio Democrat shares their values,” Hambley said.
Russo defended her 2023 vote, saying she made a strategic decision based on two bad options. Like Hambley, she supported the redistricting amendment and believes politicians shouldn’t play a role in mapmaking. Ohio won’t draw new districts again until 2031.
As secretary of state, Russo said she would prioritize voter education and ensure Ohioans aren’t distracted by misinformation.
“Really any sort of progress in the state comes back to the ability of Ohioans to have their voices heard,” she said.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who is running for Ohio secretary of state?
