Ohio House Democrats say they will have far more campaign cash heading into the 2026 election than in previous election cycles, a shift they argue could make them more competitive against the GOP that dominates the state legislature.
The Ohio House Democratic Campaign Committee and House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn together will report having nearly $1.1 million in cash on hand when they make a required state campaign finance disclosure later today, Isaacsohn exclusively told Signal on Friday.
This compares with the $554,400 in cash House Democrats had ahead of the 2024 election and the $321,400 they had ahead of the 2022 election.
In total, House Democrats also say they raised more than $1 million last year, compared to about $500,400 for the equivalent time ahead of the 2024 election and $184,700 ahead of the 2022 election.
The totals still are significantly less than House Republicans reported raising on Friday.
House Speaker Matt Huffman and the affiliated Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee reported raising a total of $3 million, giving them $4.75 million in cash on hand when counting previous fundraising. That’s roughly on par with their fundraising in 2024, when Rep. Jason Stephens led the caucus.
But Democrats’ improved fundraising should help them better compete with Republicans heading into this year’s election. It also could be a sign that donors are feeling better about their chances in what’s expected to be a favorable year for Democrats nationally.
“These record numbers reflect the fact that Ohioans are ready to end the failed experiment of supermajority, one-party rule,” Isaacsohn said in a statement. “Every dollar represents a belief by everyday people, our allies, partners and our caucus members that this is the year we can turn Ohio around.”
Republicans currently hold 65 of Ohio’s 99 House seats, which gives the GOP a supermajority and the ability to override vetoes by Gov. Mike DeWine.
Democrats could break that Republican supermajority by winning six additional seats, which is a realistic outcome if Democrats have a strong election year. House Republicans currently hold five House districts Trump won last year by fewer than 5 percentage points, and they hold a sixth, held by Rep. Andrea White, that Trump lost.
Democrats also will have to defend six to eight seats they currently hold that could be competitive, based on the voting histories of those districts’ residents.
This story has been updated with details about House Republicans’ fundraising reports, which were filed after initial publication.