Russo has been in the Ohio House since 2019, when she flipped a Republican-held seat as a first-time candidate and went on to serve as House Minority Leader — the top Democrat in the chamber.

Dr. Bryan Hambley is a leukemia physician at the University of Cincinnati and a political newcomer.

With petitions filed and the 2026 statewide races now officially underway, a lot of the attention is on the governor’s race — and understandably so — but there’s a primary happening further down the ballot that deserves a real look: the Democratic primary for Ohio Secretary of State.