Democrat Rep. Allison Russo to run for Ohio secretary of state

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Democrat Rep. Allison Russo announced on Thursday she is mounting a bid to be Ohio's next secretary of state.

Russo's announcement comes after she stepped down in June from a three-year stint as the Ohio House minority leader. In an interview with NBC4, Russo said she's running to restore faith at the ballot box, citing Republican attacks against the integrity of elections and President Donald Trump's recent plan to eliminate mail-in voting. Watch a previous NBC4 report on Russo in the video player above.

"We certainly, here in the state of Ohio, have seen an attack on people's right to vote. An attack on the transparency of what is appearing before them in the ballot box," said Russo. "The intent is to discourage voting. ...I firmly believe that voting is a right, its not a privilege, and that we need to do all that we can to ensure that people who are eligible to vote have full access to the ballot."

In 2026, Russo will face off against Cincinnati doctor Bryan Hambley, who launched his campaign in January, for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state. On the Republican side, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running after he launched a gubernatorial bid, but later dropped out to endorse billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

Current Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2024, is term limited and is now running for state auditor.

Russo was first elected to the Ohio House in 2018 when she flipped a Republican Upper Arlington district. While she previously ran for U.S. Congress against Republican Rep. Mike Carey, this campaign marks the Democrat's first bid for a statewide office. As the former House minority leader, Russo noted she's worked for candidates in nearly all 88 Ohio counties.

"Number one, I'm pro voter and number two, I'm going to take partisanship out of the secretary of state's office," said Russo. "Voters want to trust that their vote matters and that their voice matters and, unfortunately, what we've seen in the last eight years even more is that this office has not inspired that and it can be done better, and I'm committed to making that better."

Russo's bid follows fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown's announcement that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2026 against Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Brown was also said to be considering a run for governor. His decision clears the way for other Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls, including former department of health director Amy Acton and possibly former U.S. congressman Tim Ryan.