Results from the May 5th Primaries in Indiana and Ohio
Primary elections were held on Tuesday in two states: Indiana and Ohio. Full context about women in the 2026 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, is available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) Election Watch.
LAST UPDATE: 5/6/2026 at 9:30AM ET
Toplines
- Amy Acton (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor of Ohio. The open-seat contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, Acton would be the first Democratic woman governor of Ohio and the first woman governor of Ohio ever elected to office; the first and only woman governor of Ohio – Nancy Hollister (R) – served briefly as governor from December 31, 1998 to January 11, 1999 via succession due to the resignation of the incumbent governor.
- No Republican women won nominations for U.S. House or statewide elective executive offices in Ohio in 2026.
- No women filed as candidates for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, ensuring that Ohio remains one of 16 states that has never had a woman senator.
- The 9 (9D) women nominees for U.S. House in Ohio include all 4 (4D) incumbent women representatives and 5 (5D) challengers. All incumbents but U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D) are favored to win in November; Kaptur’s contest is currently rated as a toss up by Cook Political Report. All 5 (5D) women running as challengers are running in districts that currently favor their incumbent opponents.
- Women’s U.S. House representation in Indiana is unlikely to change as a result of the 2026 elections. Both (2R) incumbent women representatives are favored to win re-election in November and the other 5 (4D, 1R) women nominees are running as challengers in districts that currently favor their incumbent opponents.
Indiana
n/a
7 (4D, 3R)
n/a
U.S. Senate
There are no U.S. Senate elections in Indiana in 2026.
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: No woman has served in the U.S. Senate from Indiana.
U.S. House
Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, women are 7 of 18 (38.9%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Indiana, including 4 of 9 (44.4%) Democrats and 3 of 9 (33.3%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House matches the previous high (7), first set in 2018. Seven (6D, 1R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 7 (4D, 3R) women nominees for U.S. House in Indiana: 2 (2R) are incumbents and 5 (4D, 1R) are challengers.
|
District |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Current Cook Political Report Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Barb Regnitz |
R |
Challenger |
White |
Likely Democrat |
|
2 |
Jamee Decio |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
3 |
Kelly Thompson |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
5 |
Victoria Spartz |
R |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
6 |
Cinde Worth |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
8 |
Mary Allen |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
9 |
Erin Houchin |
R |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Republican |
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 2 of 9 (22.2%) seats in the Indiana delegation to the U.S. House. Nine (4D, 5R) women have served in the U.S. House from Indiana. Both incumbent women in the U.S. House from Indiana were successful in securing their party’s nomination and are favored to win re-election in November.
Women Candidates in 2026: Fourteen (10D, 4R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Indiana in 2026. This is not a record high. They were 14 of 53 (26.4%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2026.
Statewide Elective Executive Office
Three statewide elective executive offices are up for election in Indiana in 2026: Comptroller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer. Indiana’s parties will select nominees for these offices via party conventions in June 2026.
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 1 of 7 (14.3%) statewide elective executive offices in Indiana. 23 (5D, 18R) women have served in statewide elective executive offices in Indiana.
Incumbent Comptroller Elise Nieshalla (R) is running for re-election in 2026.
Ohio
0
9 (9D, 0R)
3 (3D, 0R)
U.S. Senate
Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, women are 0 of 2 (0%) major-party nominees for U.S. Senate in Ohio.
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: No woman has served in the U.S. Senate from Ohio.
Women Candidates in 2026: No women filed as candidates for U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2026.
U.S. House
Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, women are 9 of 30 (30%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Ohio, including 9 of 15 (60%) Democrats and 0 of 15 (0%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House falls short of the previous high (13), first set in 2020. Eleven (4D, 7R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 9 (9D) women nominees for U.S. House in Ohio: 4 (4D) are incumbents and 5 (5D) are challengers.
|
District |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Current Cook Political Report Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 |
Jen Mazzuckelli |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
3 |
Joyce Beatty |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
6 |
Elizabeth Kirtley |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
8 |
Vanessa Enoch |
D |
Challenger |
Black |
Solid Republican |
|
9 |
Marcy Kaptur |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Toss Up |
|
10 |
Kristina Knickerbocker |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
11 |
Shontel Brown |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
13 |
Emilia Sykes |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Likely Democrat |
|
14 |
Maria Jukic |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 4 of 15 (26.7%) seats in the Ohio delegation to the U.S. House. Thirteen (9D, 4R) women have served in the U.S. House from Ohio. All 4 (4D) incumbent women in the U.S. House from Ohio were successful in securing their party’s nomination; three are favored to win in November and one – U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D) – will run in a contest currently rated as a toss up by Cook Political Report.
Women Candidates in 2026: Twenty (13D, 7R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Ohio in 2026. This is a record high. They were 20 of 77 (26%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2026.
Statewide Elective Executive Office
Women Nominees in 2026: Based on primary election results, women are 3 of 12 (25%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office in Ohio, including 3 of 6 (50%) Democrats and 0 of 6 (0%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office falls short of the previous high (6). Two (2R) women statewide executive candidates were unsuccessful. All 3 (3D) women nominees for statewide elective executive office in Ohio are running for open seats.
| Office |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Current Cook Political Report Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Governor |
Amy Acton |
D |
Open Seat |
White |
Lean Republican |
|
Auditor |
Annette Blackwell |
D |
Open Seat |
Black |
|
|
Secretary of State |
Allison Russo |
D |
Open Seat |
White |
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 0 of 6 (0%) statewide elective executive offices in Ohio. Nine (4D, 5R) women have served in statewide elective executive offices in Ohio.
Women Candidates in 2026: Six (3D, 3R) women filed as candidates for statewide elective executive office in Ohio in 2026. This is not a record high. They were 6 of 20 (30%) total major-party candidates for statewide elective executive office in 2026.
Milestones to Watch in 2026:
- No Democratic woman has served as governor of Ohio.
- No woman has been elected governor of Ohio; the first and only woman governor of Ohio – Nancy Hollister (R) – served briefly as governor from December 31, 1998 to January 11, 1999 via succession due to the resignation of the incumbent governor.
- No Black Democratic woman has served in statewide elective office in Ohio.
