Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland gave his thoughts on the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial contest, praising former state health director and Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton.
Strickland, the last Democrat to hold the office, told WOSU he thinks potential candidates like former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan would also be great candidates, but neither represent the future of Ohio. Neither has announced their intentions to run.
Strickland said Acton would be a better governor, but that Brown and Ryan may run more effective campaigns and have a better shot at winning. He said Acton has asked for his endorsement, but he is holding off on granting her request.
"I told (Acton) 'You know, I so admire you. But I'm waiting to see what Sherrod and Tim do,'" Strickland said. "And then I said, 'Amy, if you were governor, you may be a better governor than either Sherrod or Tim. And they're both good friends of mine."
Acton is the only Democrat to announce a run for office so far. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has cleared his party's field after being endorsed by President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party a year before the primary is scheduled for May 5, 2026.
Strickland was elected in 2006 and served only one term after being ousted by former Gov. John Kasich in 2010. Since his time in office, Democrats have struggled to regain power in statewide races with the exception of Brown and Ohio Supreme Court justice Jennifer Brunner.
Acton was a former health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's administration.
The last Democratic nominee for Ohio governor was Nan Whaley, the mayor of the state's sixth largest city, Dayton. Before Whaley was former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and former Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald.
Acton built name recognition under DeWine's administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats still don't have any announced candidates for U.S. Senate, Ohio Auditor or Treasurer races
Strickland said winning in Ohio became extremely difficult for Democrats after the Tea Party wave in 2010, which took him out of office.
"Once you're in power, it's easier to stay in power because — I know this in personal experience — when you're in power, people are much more willing to support you. And so Democrats have been out of power for a while," Strickland said.
Now 84 years old, Strickland said he sees a future for a younger generation of Ohio Democrats to take the helm of the party. He mentioned two names in particular: Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.
Strickland said he attributed the difficulty for Democrats in part to an abundance of expensive media markets.
"It costs so much to get known in Ohio. Oftentimes, people have to run two or three times so that their name is recognized before they're actually able to win," Strickland said.
WOSU asked Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde about the difficulty Democrats have faced in recent years. Clyde said in a statement she places the blame for losses in statewide races largely on gerrymandering
"Republicans drew gerrymandered statehouse districts that are impossible for them to lose to build their bench, but I’m proud of the bench that Ohio Democrats do have. We’re not running billionaires who were chosen behind closed doors. Instead, our candidates at all levels of the ticket are from every walk of life and are uniquely qualified to represent their communities," Clyde said.
The way congressional and state legislative districts are drawn doesn't directly impact statewide races like the governor's race.
Clyde said the future of the Democratic Party is in all corners of the state, with the five Democratic members of Congress and many mayors, county commissioners and local elected officials.
Clyde said Democrats can work to win more statewide races building long-term relationships, strengthening county parties, and empowering local leaders in communities year-round and not just when elections happen. She said voters are also owed a fair redistricting process.
