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Candidates Ready Bids For Open Ohio Congressional Seats

[Orhan Cam / Shutterstock]

Congressional candidates are getting ready to compete for two open seats in Ohio next year, as the Republican incumbents prepare to leave the House.

Rep. Jim Renacci is running for governor, and Rep. Pat Tiberi has said he plans to leave office by the end of January 2018.

16th District

Renacci’s 16th Congressional district stretches from the west side suburbs of Cleveland south to Wayne County and east to Portage County. President Trump won the district by approximately 17 points last year.

On the Republican side, former NFL player Anthony Gonzalez has raised the most money, followed by State Rep. Christina Hagan of Alliance. Kit Seryak, an Army veteran from Rocky River, and Darrell Hartman of Akron have also filed to run.

Two Democrats have filed with the Federal Election Commission: Aaron Paul Godfrey of North Olmsted and Mark Dent from Berea.

Jennifer Herold, who ran for the state house as a Republican last year, is also in the mix, this time on the Democratic side.

12th District

When Tiberi resigns, the governor’s office will set a date for a special election to fill out his term in Ohio’s 12th District. The winner would face reelection in the fall for the new term beginning in 2019. 

Several Democrats say they’ll enter the race, including former Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott and Ed Albertson, who ran last year. John Russell, who operates a farm in Delaware County, is getting into the race. John Peters, an educator from Newark, and Doug Wilson of Mansfield are also seeking the seat.

Two state senators are running on the Republican side: Kevin Bacon and Troy Balderson. Delaware County Prosecutor Carol O’Brien is in the race too. Jon Halverstadt and Brandon Grisez, who both served in the military, are also campaigning as Republicans.

Attorney Jonathan Veley is running as an independent.

Trump won the central Ohio district by approximately 11 points in 2016. 

Nick Castele was a senior reporter covering politics and government for Ideastream Public Media. He worked as a reporter for Ideastream from 2012-2022.