Is everything amazing in Ohio?
Is that your experience?
Do Ohio politicians have an outstanding record of winning big for Ohio residents? Do you feel like they are looking out for you?
Have they turned Ohio into a destination among our 50 states? Making life affordable for Ohio families? Providing top-notch education? Access to health care? Access to opportunity? A thriving climate for both entrepreneurs and workers? The best roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure? Public safety, quality of life?
Is Ohio a beacon of democracy for voters? Are voters respected? Are our elected officials accountable, mindful, and responsive to the needs and wishes of everyday Ohioans, and not beholden to narrow special interests or corporate influence?
Perhaps you think yes. Perhaps you think no.
You’re in luck either way.
This year, you will get to decide, Ohio voter.
You get to decide whether the Buckeye State is “on the right track” or “heading in the wrong direction,” as the pollsters love to put it.
Every single statewide executive office is up for open election: Ohio governor, attorney general, secretary of state, auditor, and treasurer.
We also have two Ohio Supreme Court races to decide, and another U.S. Senate election for the third congressional cycle in a row.
Ohio Republicans are trying to hold onto the control over all three branches of state government they’ve had since 2011.
Ohio Democrats are trying to win their first statewide executive branch offices since 2006.
It’s been eight years since we last had open races for these executive offices.
Each of the current incumbents won reelection in 2022, but all are term-limited out of seeking reelection again, though three are attempting to shuffle from their current position into a different statewide executive office.
So what are the big highlights in Ohio over the last seven years?
I’ll just get out of the way and share some significant headlines from the Ohio Capital Journal and other news outlets throughout Ohio, and you can decide for yourselves what you make of it, as you consider what you think ought to happen next.
The Headlines
2019
A Bill Banning Most Abortions Becomes Law In Ohio
Nuclear bailout bill passes Ohio legislature, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine
Ohio nuclear bailout foes take initial steps toward statewide referendum
Pro-bailout figure tries to keep HB 6 off ballot
Yost rejects summary of HB6 petition
Proposed anti-House Bill 6 referendum clears initial hurdle
Fliers Push Anti-Chinese Government Message To Save Nuclear Bailout
House Bill 6 referendum signatures not filed, leaving its fate to judge
Judge rejects appeal for more time to gather HB 6 referendum signatures
Judge blocks Ohio abortion law, allowing clinics to remain open
Dayton shooting: Nine confirmed killed, gunman also dead
Gov. DeWine Proposes Red Flag Law, Expanded Background Checks After Dayton Shooting
DeWine scales back gun proposals
2020
Nuclear Bailout Opponents End Referendum Attempt
DeWine issues state order prohibiting general spectators from Arnold Sports Festival
How Ohio has responded to COVID-19: The first cases
Ohio House speaker, four others arrested amid massive dark-money, pay-to-play allegations
FirstEnergy Fires CEO Chuck Jones After Internal Investigation
As coronavirus continues to hit Ohio, public health officials take the heat
The grim calculus behind Ohio’s economic reopening
Ohio House Republican unloads COVID-19 conspiracy theories to Senate committee
Hundreds of millions in budget cuts to hit all areas of education
Ohio’s K-12 public schools got cuts. Private, charter schools got cash.
Two men tied to Householder corruption probe plead guilty
FBI raids home of PUCO chairman, possibly connected to House Bill 6 investigation
2020 in Ohio: COVID-19 Killed Almost 9,000 Ohioans And Left Millions Unemployed
2021
Ohio House votes to ax nuclear subsidies in partial repeal of House Bill 6
FirstEnergy said it bribed a regulator for $4.3 million. Here’s how it worked.
Ohio governor won’t say he regrets picking regulator now at the center of historic utility scandal
FirstEnergy admits it controlled dark money group started by DeWine aide
DeWine aide’s organization was link to now-guilty dark money group
DeWine refuses to explain aide’s role in bailout scandal
Ohio House expels former Republican speaker in historic vote
Columbus lobbyist accused in HB 6 scandal died by suicide, autopsy confirms
Anti-mask, anti-vax Ohioans support bill targeting health dept. authority
Ohio politicians condemned for pandemic comparisons to Nazi Germany
DeWine vetoes bill targeting his pandemic authority; override awaits
Ohio legislature overrides DeWine veto of pandemic authority bill
Ohio ballots will list party affiliations for top judicial candidates
Dayton mayor unhappy as Gov. Mike DeWine signs ‘stand your ground’ legislation into law
How an Ohio representative’s business could profit off the ‘stand your ground’ bill he co-sponsors
Ohio lawmakers reintroduce medically unproven ‘abortion reversal’ bill
2022
Former DeWine aide warned governor about utility regulator before the FBI raided his home
FirstEnergy text messages say Lt. Gov. Husted pushed for more money for nuclear plants
Ohio’s response to Uvalde? Armed teachers and $117 million
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs bill allowing teachers, staff to carry guns in schools
Ohio lawmaker who wrote bill requiring gun training for teachers owns gun training business
Gun lobbyist wrote GOP lawmakers’ ‘permitless carry’ speech, document data shows
DeWine signs law removing training, background check, permitting requirement to conceal carry
‘Our voices are not heard’ — Ohio’s largest police union slams new GOP gun bills
U.S. Supreme Court overturns right to abortion in landmark decision
Ohio abortion bans on the way following death of Roe
10-year-old rape victim forced to travel from Ohio to Indiana for abortion
Arrest confirms Indiana abortion for Ohio 10-year-old. Republicans questioned her existence
After raising doubts about rape victim, AG’s office won’t say if he supports abortion law
DeWine: No comment on abortion ban that forced a child to Indiana
Affidavits: More pregnant minors who were raped denied Ohio abortions
Despite reports of harm, DeWine refuses comment on abortion ban law
Lawmakers move to weaken Ohio Board of Education, give power to governor
School district coalition files lawsuit challenging Ohio’s private school voucher program
Bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court majority rejects partisan Statehouse redistricting maps for fifth time
Group of GOP voters sue to force Ohio legislative map fix
Federal court implements Statehouse maps declared unconstitutional by Ohio Supreme Court
Discussions underway to propose new redistricting reform to Ohio voters
Ohio activists plan abortion rights ballot initiative
Ohio Republicans launch effort to make citizen-led amendments harder to pass for voters
LaRose wants to make it harder for voters to amend constitution but evidence of a problem is lacking
Ohio legislature passes bill opening all state land to fracking, labeling natural gas ‘green energy’
2023
With stroke of his pen, Gov. Mike DeWine defines natural gas as green energy
Ohio pulls out of voter registration database targeted by conservative election skeptics
A behind-the-scenes look at how Ohio enacted the most restrictive voter photo ID law in America
Ohio board of education loses most of its powers in state budget
Swanky D.C. dinners between FirstEnergy execs and Householder led to corrupt scheme, prosecutors say
Former GOP Ohio speaker, lobbyist guilty in $60 million bribery scheme
Former Ohio House Speaker Householder sentenced to 20 years for state’s largest bribery scheme
Former GOP Chair Borges chair sentenced to five years in massive corruption case
Final Ohio education budget expands vouchers, limits board of ed powers
Ohio approves fracking under state park and wildlife areas at contentious meeting
Ohio lawmakers send 60% supermajority amendment to the ballot
Bipartisan former Ohio governors against raising constitutional threshold to 60% and August vote
Ohio Sec. of State LaRose admits making constitution harder to amend is ‘100% about… abortion’
Issue 1 falls: Ohio voters reject raising voter approval threshold to amend constitution
Split ballot board approves reproductive rights amendment summary written by Ohio Sec. of State
Ohio Republicans accused of trying to mislead voters with abortion ballot wording
Ohio voters pass Issue 1 constitutional amendment to protect abortion and reproductive rights
Ohioans vote to legalize recreational marijuana by passing Issue 2 law
2024
FirstEnergy gave $1 million to boost Ohio Lt Gov Husted’s campaign before scandal, document shows
Ohio Lt. Gov. Husted won’t say if he knew about $1M dark-money contribution
FirstEnergy gave $2.5M to GOP governors’ dark money group backing DeWine’s 2018 bid
Ex-First Energy executives, Ohio utility regulator charged by state in bailout and bribery scandal
Indicted former Ohio utility chair reported dead by suicide
Former Ohio Speaker Larry Householder seeks pardon from Trump for bribery conviction
HB 6 scandal: Shell company pleads guilty, agrees to forfeit over $2.1 million
“Who’s gonna want to move here?” How fracking around Ohio’s Salt Fork State Park is changing area
Ohio spent nearly a billion dollars on private school voucher scholarships in 2024
DeWine wants to fight gun violence, but GOP lawmakers don’t want gun regulations
Ohio Ballot Board approves controversial language to describe anti-gerrymandering amendment
Anti-gerrymandering groups warn that Ohio’s ballot language is misleading voters
As Some Ohioans Make Confused Votes on Issue 1, Critics Say That’s By Republican Design
Ohio voters reject Issue 1, leaving politicians in control over map-making process
Ohioans Reject Redistricting Reform, Protecting GOP Gerrymanders
2025
Ohio Republican leader says strategy to confuse voters helped defeat redistricting amendment
Ohio Republicans weigh how ruthless to be in redistricting
Opponents speak out for more than three hours against making changes to Ohio’s marijuana law
Ohio House Republicans pass higher education overhaul to ban diversity efforts and faculty strikes
Ohio Gov. DeWine signs higher ed bill regulating classroom discussion and banning diversity efforts
High school students reconsidering applying to Ohio universities due to new higher education law
As SB 1 impacts ripple across Ohio college campuses, students, faculty say ‘the chill is real’
DEI offices shuttered, degrees cut, discussions tiptoed: What Senate Bill 1 changed in higher ed
Ohio’s largest community colleges cut programs under Senate Bill 1
Ohio spent more than a billion dollars on private school vouchers in fiscal year 2025
New funding for public schools the smallest increase in decade — Look up your district.
As federal cuts finalized, state lawmakers in Ohio also gave cuts to public broadcasting
Ohio’s Medicaid expansion group survives federal budget, but cuts still coming
At an Ohio food bank, fears that Republican cuts will overwhelm an overstretched program
Two former FirstEnergy execs indicted on federal racketeering charges
Federal appeals court upholds conviction of Householder in public corruption case
Attorneys for Householder, Borges ‘hopeful’ following pardon for Cincinnati politician
Ohio finally ends subsidies for two scandal-linked coal plants
Ohio adopts new congressional map with 12-3 GOP advantage
Ohio Republican lawmakers look to regulate abortion, push against constitutional amendment
Republican-approved Ohio House budget erases commission that handles campaign finance cases
Why it Matters: The end of the Ohio Elections Commission
Ohio bill to ban intoxicating hemp products and make changes to marijuana law goes to Gov. DeWine
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs intoxicating hemp ban, new marijuana regulations into law
Ohio Gov. DeWine signs property tax bills, ‘reluctantly’ approves new voting restrictions
Ohio Gov. DeWine signs bill ending mail-in ballot grace period for voters
This commentary was originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal and republished here with permission.