State Rep. Allison Russo, a Democrat from Upper Arlington, is running for Ohio secretary of state in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Robert Sprague and Libertarian Tom Pruss.

Asked why she is running, Russo said in our candidate questionnaire: "I'm running because no office is more critical to protecting Ohioans' power to hold their government accountable than Secretary of State. … As Secretary of State, I'll be relentlessly pro-voter. I'll ensure every eligible voter has the information and tools they need to make their voice heard."

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."

She also holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Mississippi University for Women.

Experience and public service

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."

Elected office: "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."

Russo also served on the Ohio Redistricting Commission and was the Democratic candidate in the 2021 OH-15 special election for U.S. House, according to her Wikipedia biography.

On the issues

What sets her apart: 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. … As Secretary of State, my loyalty will be to Ohio voters, not any political party or administration."

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

Issue 3 (photo ID): "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. … The key question is whether election rules should be constitutionalized or remain flexible enough to adapt as technology and identification systems change."

Qualifications: "Serving on the Ohio Redistricting Commission gave me a front-row seat to our broken redistricting process. In 2024, I advocated for citizen-led redistricting so an independent commission—not politicians—would draw our districts."