Jay Edwards (Photo from Ohio House website.)
Former Republican state Rep. Jay Edwards has announced his candidacy for Ohio Treasurer in 2026.
He joins an already crowded field of Republicans running for treasurer including former state Sen. Niraj Antani, current state Sen. Kristina Roegner, and Lake County Treasurer Michael Zuren. Ohio’s treasurer is the state’s banker.
No Democrats have yet announced their candidacy in 2026 for treasurer. Ohio’s primary is May 5, 2026.
Edwards, who lives in Nelsonville, was a state representative from 2017 to 2024 and served as the chair of the Ohio House Finance Committee in 2023 and 2024. He flipped a previously Democratic district Republican by winning the 2016 election.
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“I know that Ohio’s money belongs to the taxpayers — not the pet projects of lobbyists,” Edwards said in a statement. “A son of Appalachia, I understand that access to capital can mean access to opportunity. As Ohio’s next State Treasurer, I will work to ensure that Ohio is among the best states to raise a family and start a business.”
Current Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is term-limited and he is running for secretary of state.
Ohio 2026 election
Ohio voters will cast their ballot for a new governor in 2026, along with all of Ohio’s other statewide executive offices, as all current officeholders are term-limited.
Dr. Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate running for governor. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and political newcomer Heather Hill are competing for the GOP nomination. The Ohio Republican Party officially endorsed Ramaswamy in May.
Retired Air Force intel officer Marcell Strbich is running in the Republican primary for secretary of state against Sprague.
Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is running for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. On Thursday morning, former Ohio House Democratic leader Allison Russo announced her candidacy for the secretary of state as well, setting up a primary competition.
Current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber and former Democratic state representative Elliot Forhan are running for attorney general in 2026.
Current Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor in 2026. No Democrats have announced their candidacy for auditor yet.
There is one Ohio Supreme Court race in 2026. Democratic Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner is being challenged by four Republicans competing in a primary — Rocky River Municipal Judge Joseph Burke, former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Colleen O’Donnell, Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge Andrew King, and Second District Court of Appeals Judge Ron Lewis.
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