Ohio voters are being offered a clearer way to examine LGBTQ candidate records as the 2026 midterm races gather pace. GLAAD's Ohio Accountability Project brings together fact sheets on major statewide contests, helping voters look past attack ads and assess how candidates' words, votes and policies could affect LGBTQ+ people and families.

Essential Takeaways

  • A voter-focused resource: GLAAD's fact sheets examine candidates' LGBTQ+ records across Ohio's biggest statewide races.
  • Four major contests covered: The project looks at the governor, US Senate, attorney general and secretary of state races.
  • More than campaign slogans: Profiles focus on public statements, voting records and policies with direct consequences for LGBTQ+ communities.
  • A wider accountability lens: Several additional candidates are included because of allegations involving abuse or misconduct, alongside their anti-LGBTQ+ records.
  • Useful reading in a noisy campaign: The guides offer a calmer way to compare claims when political advertising gets loud.

A fact sheet can cut through a crowded campaign

Ohio's election season is already filling up with familiar political theatre: sharp adverts, ominous music and claims designed to provoke before they explain. GLAAD's response is more practical, offering voters a record-based guide to candidates whose decisions could shape LGBTQ+ rights and safety.

The organisation says the Ohio Accountability Project was created because statewide officeholders have an unusually broad influence over people's lives. According to GLAAD, the goal is to make that influence easier to examine, particularly when campaign messaging threatens to bury substantive issues.

That approach matters beyond one community. A voter may not have time to follow every committee hearing or policy announcement, but a concise fact sheet can provide a useful starting point before heading to the ballot box.

Which Ohio races are under the microscope?

The project covers the contests for governor, US Senate, attorney general and secretary of state. The Senate race features former Senator Sherrod Brown against Senator Jon Husted, while the governor's contest pairs Dr Amy Acton with Vivek Ramaswamy.

The secretary of state race includes Representative Allison Russo and Robert Sprague. For attorney general, John Kulewicz is running against Keith Faber. GLAAD's election coverage sets out why each office matters, from executive power and legal enforcement to election administration.

That range is important because LGBTQ+ policy isn't controlled by one office alone. Governors influence appointments and legislation, attorneys general can shape legal arguments, and secretaries of state oversee systems that determine how people participate in democracy.

Why LGBTQ+ policy records deserve closer attention

The fact sheets focus on statements and policies that directly affect LGBTQ+ people, rather than treating identity issues as a campaign footnote. That includes the broader political environment around transgender healthcare, school policy, discrimination protections and family life.

GLAAD's coverage of Ohio's House Bill 68 illustrates the stakes. The organisation criticised lawmakers after they overrode a veto affecting gender-affirming care for minors and transgender participation in school sport, arguing that legislators had disregarded families, medical experts and scientific evidence.

Meanwhile, GLAAD's candidate reporting shows how national and state campaigns can connect to the same themes. Its profile of Bernie Moreno, for example, examines a record that voters may want to consider alongside his wider political messaging, rather than treating campaign claims in isolation.

How to use the guides without getting lost

Start with the office itself. Ask what powers the role carries, then look at the candidate's public record on the issues most relevant to you. A governor's approach to appointments may matter differently from an attorney general's approach to litigation, while a secretary of state's decisions can affect access to the ballot.

Next, separate a clear vote or policy position from a vague promise. The most useful comparisons usually come from looking at what a candidate has already supported, opposed or said in public, not simply what appears in a glossy campaign advert.

It's also worth checking more than one source. GLAAD's candidate resources can help organise the evidence, while reporting from LGBTQ+ newsrooms such as The Buckeye Flame adds local context and community perspective.

The bigger picture is representation, not just winning

GLAAD has also highlighted recent gains by transgender candidates, suggesting that representation is slowly broadening even as political attacks remain intense. Those victories don't erase the risks facing LGBTQ+ people, but they do challenge the idea that public office must be occupied by the same narrow set of voices.

The Ohio project also profiles three candidates who have faced credible allegations involving physical abuse, sexual abuse or misconduct, or allegations concerning the witnessing and reporting of sexual abuse in an educational setting. Those profiles are presented alongside records of anti-LGBTQ+ policy or rhetoric, giving voters another reason to examine personal conduct and public positions together.

Politics can feel exhausting when every advert insists the next election is an emergency. Still, a little fact-checking can restore some control. For Ohio voters, these guides offer a quieter, more useful question: what has each candidate actually done, and what might they do next?

It's a small but valuable step towards voting with clearer information.

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