James Mills, a Warren County financial services executive and Libertarian Party leader, is running for Ohio lieutenant governor alongside gubernatorial candidate Don Kissick in the Nov. 3 general election.
Mills said in a questionnaire response to Surround Sound News that he entered politics because he "got tired of picking my poison, so I decided I wanted to be part of the antidote." He said Ohioans deserve leadership "that puts people ahead of parties and solutions ahead of politics."
Candidate information
- Party: Libertarian
- Office sought: Ohio Lieutenant Governor
- Election: Nov. 3, 2026, general election
- Education: Bachelor's degree in political science and economics with a minor in Spanish, University of Cincinnati; Master of Business Administration, Xavier University
- Professional designation: Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC)
- Occupation: CEO and co-founder, Ironvest Financial Partners
- Family: Married with two children; grew up in Cincinnati as one of five children
Experience and public service
Mills told Surround Sound News he has spent most of his career in financial services, including roles at Nationwide, Western & Southern, PNC and Brokerage Solutions. He co-founded Ironvest Financial Partners, where he works with individuals, families and businesses on financial planning, retirement and employee-benefit strategies.
Earlier in his career, Mills served through AmeriCorps, helping develop programs for a homeless shelter. He called that experience formative.
Within the Libertarian Party of Ohio, Mills has served as vice chair and field development director. He currently chairs the Warren County Libertarian Party. He said those roles gave him experience in grassroots organizing, candidate support and community outreach.
Mills has not held elected or appointed government office.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Mills' questionnaire responses to Surround Sound News.
Property taxes: Mills said the ticket's goal is to completely eliminate property taxes on owner-occupied homes and family farms without defunding schools, police or fire departments. He said they would begin with roughly a 25% reduction and continue phasing taxes out as replacement funding is identified. Mills said the state should conduct a comprehensive review of Lottery education dollars, the General Revenue Fund, corporate subsidies and administrative spending to identify inefficiencies and redirect resources toward classrooms and local communities.
Government transparency and ethics: Mills said he supports a publicly searchable database showing state contracts, lobbying activity, major expenditures and meetings involving public officials. He said he would strengthen Ohio's Sunshine Laws, limit nondisclosure agreements in public business and require meaningful disclosure of conflicts of interest. He cited the House Bill 6 bribery scandal as evidence of what happens when government operates behind closed doors. Mills said Ohio needs "stronger enforcement and consequences when officials violate public trust."
Role of lieutenant governor: Mills said he and Kissick see the position as an active partnership, not a ceremonial role. He said his responsibilities would focus on small-business growth, economic and community development, government transparency and connecting the administration with communities across Ohio. He said he would work with entrepreneurs, chambers, local governments and economic-development organizations to reduce barriers to starting and growing businesses. Mills said voters should judge his success by "fewer unnecessary barriers for small businesses, greater transparency in state spending" and "whether communities across Ohio believe they have meaningful access to their state government."
What sets the ticket apart: Mills said the biggest difference is that he and Kissick are not approaching government through a Republican or Democratic lens. He said the ticket supports ending corporate welfare, opposing warrantless mass surveillance and protecting due process.
Ohio's general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
