Allison Russo, a Democrat and state representative from Upper Arlington, is running for Ohio secretary of state in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.

Asked why she is running, Russo said in our candidate questionnaire: "No office is more critical to protecting Ohioans' power to hold their government accountable than Secretary of State."

Robert Sprague (Republican) and Tom Pruss (Libertarian) are also running for the seat.

Candidate information

Party: Democrat

Residence: Upper Arlington, Ohio

Family: "I have been married to my husband Brian, a US Air Force veteran, for 26 years. We have three children and live in Upper Arlington."

Education: "I hold a Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy from the George Washington University and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham."

Occupation: "Before being elected to the Ohio Statehouse, I spent more than 20 years working on issues related to public health policy, advising federal agencies, health systems, and policymakers on how to improve systems and access to care among our most vulnerable populations. I continue to do this work in a limited capacity while I serve as a State Legislator."

Experience and public service

Russo represents Ohio House District 7, which includes Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and portions of Columbus. She said in our questionnaire: "I am currently an Ohio State Representative in House District 7. In my time as a legislator, I was elected by my colleagues to serve as the Ohio House Minority Leader, where I led the House Democratic Caucus for nearly four years before stepping back to run for Secretary of State."

According to her Wikipedia biography, she was the Democratic nominee for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District in the 2021 special election for U.S. Congress and has served as a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission.

On the issues

What sets her apart from other candidates: Russo said in our questionnaire: "I'm running to be a fair, independent, and unbiased arbiter of Ohio's elections—a guardrail against political pressure, not a rubber stamp for it." She added: "Ohio voters deserve a Secretary of State who protects both their right to vote and their personal information."

Ballot language and redistricting: "The Secretary of State should be a fair, impartial arbiter of Ohio's increasingly partisan election processes. Ballot language should be accurate, clear, and as unbiased as possible. As chair of the Ballot Board, the Secretary of State must ensure transparency about how and why ballot language is changed from the language originally approved for petition circulation."

Drop boxes and absentee voting: "Ohioans deserve convenient, secure access to the ballot, and ballot drop boxes are a safe, proven way to make voting more accessible." She added: "As Secretary of State, I will enforce these safeguards, strengthen public awareness of them, and make election administration more transparent."

Issue 3 and voter rolls: "Issue 3 is a political stunt—not a solution to a problem Ohio voters face. Ohio already has photo ID requirements and some of the strictest ID rules in the country." She added: "Ohio needs election policies that protect both security and access while allowing administrators and lawmakers to respond efficiently as circumstances change, not more partisan political stunts."