University of Cincinnati
10/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/13/2026 14:51
How Ohio's political landscape has changed
How Ohio's political landscape has changed
UC expert says Ohio is no longer a bellwether for national elections
2 minute read October 13, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print Story Like
The political landscape of Ohio has changed dramatically from a generation ago when the state served as a bellwether for national elections.
Today, Republicans dominate both state government and Ohio's congressional delegation. That wasn't always the case, a University of Cincinnati political science professor told Spectrum News.
"What Ohio was and the reason it was a competitive state is it was economically representative," UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor David Niven said. "This is a state with big agriculture and a state with big manufacturing, and an economy that looks a lot like the American economy."
Niven teaches American government and politics in UC's School of Public and International Affairs.
He told Spectrum News that Republicans have dominated Ohio politics in the past three presidential elections.
"Democrats in the last 10 years in Ohio have almost been entirely shut out," Niven said. "The only statewide win they've had since 2014 is one Sherrod Brown race."
Brown is running against Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Husted in a race that has seen a surge in national campaign spending of $400 million.
Statewide, Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy are competing in a close gubernatorial race, according to multiple polls. The last time voters in Ohio elected a Democrat for governor was in 2006.
Niven said Republicans are primed to carry the Ohio midterm elections based on recent history.
"If people vote based on their pocketbooks, Ohio works out to be a pretty competitive state," Niven said. "If they vote demographics, then Ohio looks a lot more like the states that are trending Republican."
Watch the Spectrum News story.
Featured image at top: UC Professor David Niven teaches in the School of Public and International Affairs. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC
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