State Rep. Allison Russo, a Democrat from Upper Arlington, is running for Ohio secretary of state in the Nov. 3 general election. She faces Republican Robert Sprague and Libertarian Tom Pruss.

Asked why she is running, Russo said in our candidate questionnaire, "I'm running because no office is more critical to protecting Ohioans' power to hold their government accountable than Secretary of State." She added, "As Secretary of State, I'll be relentlessly pro-voter. I'll ensure every eligible voter has the information and tools they need to make their voice heard."

Candidate information

Party: Democrat

Residence: Upper Arlington, Ohio

Family: "I have been married to my husband Brian, a US Air Force veteran, for 26 years. We have three children and live in Upper Arlington."

Education: "I hold a Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy from the George Washington University and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham."

Experience and public service

Occupation: "Before being elected to the Ohio Statehouse, I spent more than 20 years working on issues related to public health policy, advising federal agencies, health systems, and policymakers on how to improve systems and access to care among our most vulnerable populations. I continue to do this work in a limited capacity while I serve as a State Legislator."

Elected office: "I am currently an Ohio State Representative in House District 7. In my time as a legislator, I was elected by my colleagues to serve as the Ohio House Minority Leader, where I led the House Democratic Caucus for nearly four years before stepping back to run for Secretary of State."

Russo ran as the Democratic candidate in the 2021 OH-15 special election for the U.S. House, according to Wikipedia.

On the issues

Key differences with opponents: Russo said in our questionnaire, "I'm running to be a fair, independent, and unbiased arbiter of Ohio's elections—a guardrail against political pressure, not a rubber stamp for it." She said her opponent "… has embraced fringe claims about election fraud, called for eliminating ballot drop boxes, and backed making it harder for eligible Ohioans to vote by mail."

Ballot language and redistricting: Asked how she would keep ballot language neutral, Russo said, "The Secretary of State should be a fair, impartial arbiter of Ohio's increasingly partisan election processes. Ballot language should be accurate, clear, and as unbiased as possible." On redistricting, she said, "If Ohioans pursue a citizen-led ballot initiative to reform the redistricting process … I will ensure they receive a fair opportunity to present their proposal to voters, provided they meet all constitutional and statutory requirements."

Drop boxes: Russo said, "Ohioans deserve convenient, secure access to the ballot, and ballot drop boxes are a safe, proven way to make voting more accessible." She said drop boxes "must be monitored by video surveillance around the clock" and "can only be opened when both members of a bipartisan Board of Elections team are present."

Issue 3 (photo ID): Russo called Issue 3 "a political stunt—not a solution to a problem Ohio voters face." She said "Ohio already has photo ID requirements and some of the strictest ID rules in the country" and that the measure would lock "a potentially outdated list of IDs into our Constitution."

Accomplishments: Asked about her qualifications, Russo said in our questionnaire, "Serving on the Ohio Redistricting Commission gave me a front-row seat to our broken redistricting process." She added, "I know how to work across the aisle to find common ground and get things done, but I also know when Ohioans need someone willing to stand up, speak out, and fight for them."

Responses come from our Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire. The election is Nov. 3, 2026.