Takeaways – An Encouraging May 5 Primary Election Day for Ohio Democrats

Takeaways - An Encouraging May 5 Primary Election Day for Ohio Democrats

May 6, 2026

To: Interested Parties

From: Marisa Nahem, Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director

Date: May 6, 2026

Subject: Takeaways - An Encouraging May 5 Primary Election Day for Ohio Democrats

In yesterday's May 5 Primary Election, Ohio Democrats saw encouraging voter turnout across the state while Republicans saw a lack of enthusiasm. Democrats will be connecting with Ohioans of all political backgrounds around their winning message to lower costs and get our state back on track, while Ohio Republicans will be forced to own deeply unpopular policies from Washington and Columbus, like Washington Republicans' tariffs that are raising the price of goods, the reckless war with Iran that is sky-rocketing gas prices, and the devastating healthcare cuts that are ripping care from Ohio families and putting rural hospitals at risk.

Republicans will also have to own deeply flawed candidates who may have escaped their primary, but now have to spend time and energy working to unite their own base before even facing Ohioans who are fed up with Republican' policies that are raising costs, like for healthcare, housing, groceries, energy, and in nearly every part of Ohioans' daily life.

Ohio Democrats saw encouraging turnout across the state - including in urban areas that Democrats have been putting in the critical work to re-energize:

Raw Democratic vote totals were higher in most counties when compared to 2022 and raw Republican vote totals were lower in most counties when compared to 2022.

When looking at urban and suburban counties, Democrats saw big increases with Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Summit, Lucas, Lorain, Stark, Butler, Montgomery, Delaware, Lake, and Medina each increasing their Democratic ballots cast by 5,000+ when compared to 2022.

In Butler County, Democrats returned significantly more ballots, showing incredible enthusiasm for Democratic candidates' message to lower costs, protect our freedoms, and get our state back on track. In 2022, 8,410 Democratic ballots were returned, and in 2026, there were 17,433 returned. While Democrats saw a doubling of ballots returned in Butler County, Republicans' saw 3,811 fewer ballots returned this year than in 2022.

Additionally, Clermont and Jackson counties each also doubled their number of Democratic ballots returned from 2022 to 2026.

Ohio Republicans mark the start to the general election still having to unite their own base after toxic GOP primaries that have seen weeks of brutal infighting:

THE GOVERNOR'S RACE: Despite spending millions of his own dollars to bail out his campaign after calling Ohio workers "lazy" and "mediocre," saying Medicare and Medicaid were "a mistake," calling affordability a "buzzword," and garnering widespread backlash for his plans to close Ohio's public schools and universities, 1 in 5 Republicans still refused to vote for Vivek Ramaswamy.

THE TREASURER'S RACE: After pitting J.D. Vance and Bernie Moreno against Vivek Ramaswamy, Republicans' nominee (who isn't Ramaswamy's pick) is now left to piece together their fractured party.

OH09 CONGRESSIONAL RACE: After GOP candidates spent the weeks leading up to the primary brutally fighting with each other and focusing on anything but the issues that matter most to Ohio families, they're now left to attempt to unite - which begins with losing candidates actually endorsing the winner.

Path to victory:

While the Ohio Republican leader has "acknowledged a tough political climate for Republicans this year," Ohio Democrats are making clear that "Ohio is back," as we go on offense with great candidates up and down the ballot, a winning message to lower costs and get our state back on track, and the infrastructure to do the critical work that's needed in the days to come to capitalize on the momentum and deliver wins for Democratic candidates in November.

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