Ohio Democrats win three House seats despite Republican map
Voters in three districts rejected incumbent Republicans, shifting the state delegation to 8 Democrats and 7 Republicans.
By Renata Mehta ·
Ohio voters defeated three Republican incumbents on Tuesday, flipping congressional districts drawn by Republican officials to favor the GOP. The result gives Democrats a 8-7 majority in the state’s 15 congressional seats, overturning the 12-3 split the redistricting map was designed to produce.
Don Leonard, a former Ohio State University city planning professor, unseated Republican Mike Carey in the 15th District. In the 6th District, Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker and Brook Park City Council member, defeated incumbent Max Miller. Kristina Knickerbocker, an Air Force veteran and nurse, is leading Republican Mike Turner in the 12th District, though the Associated Press had not officially called the race as of Wednesday afternoon.
Leonard told WOSU that voters rejected the Republican agenda, describing it as bankrupt. He said no map could have saved the party from the results. “I think for many Americans, there was no map that could have saved the Republican Party from the wallop they got last night,” Leonard said.
The victories were driven by higher turnout in rural and suburban areas. In the 15th District, Leonard won more than 60% of the vote in the southern and western portions of Franklin County. That figure exceeds the 53% margin achieved by previous candidates in 2022 and 2024. Rural counties including Pickaway, Madison, and Fayette also saw increased turnout, while Carey’s share of the vote dropped compared to past cycles.
The three winners will join five reelected Democratic representatives: Joyce Beatty, Greg Landsman, Marcy Kaptur, Shontel Brown, and Emilia Sykes. Republicans retained seven seats, held by Troy Balderson, Jim Jordan, Warren Davidson, Dave Joyce, Dave Taylor, Bob Latta, and Michael Rulli.
Paul Beck, a professor emeritus at Ohio State University, suggested voters were fed up with perceived corruption. He noted that Carey’s history as a coal lobbyist likely hurt his chances. Beck also pointed to the FirstEnergy scandal as an undercurrent that affected the political climate in the state.
Leonard plans to open three district offices, including locations in the Hilltop neighborhood, the south side of Columbus, and Highland County. He intends to create a mobile app for constituent services and seek assignment to the House Ways and Means or Appropriations committees. His initial legislative priorities include banning congressional stock trading and drafting new ethics rules.
Poindexter ran against Miller, who has denied wrongdoing in allegations of abuse involving his daughter and ex-wife. Knickerbocker, if she wins, will unseat Turner, a former Dayton mayor and 20-year incumbent.
