Who is running for Ohio House District 5 in Ohio in 2026?

Richard Cole (R), Meredith R Lawson Rowe (D)

When is the Ohio 2026 general election?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Ohio › Races › Ohio House District 5

Ohio House District 5 — Ohio 2026

2 candidates on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot (official Ohio Secretary of State list, as of October 29, 2026). Grades reflect each candidate's public record on life, family, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, limited government and fiscal responsibility.

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Candidates

ARichard ColeRepublican

Candidate for State Representative, District 5 (Republican).

LifeAFamilyAReligious libertyA2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tAFiscalA

Non-incumbent Republican; no 2023-26 Ohio General Assembly voting record. iVoterGuide rates Conservative. Evidence pass (2026-10-29): pro-life, marriage, religious liberty, Second Amendment, limited government, fiscal now graded from iVoterGuide questionnaire answers. No party-default sub-grades remain.

Life: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: strongly agreed with all four abortion/life protections; elective abortion only in "very, very rare instances."
Family: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: strongly agreed marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
Religious liberty: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: strongly disagreed that people should be required to provide services that violate their religious beliefs.
2nd Amendment: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire on gun restrictions: "The second amendment is easy to understand... We need to be able to protect our families."
Limited gov’t: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: favors private-sector healthcare, strongly agreed with eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, opposed a government medical-illness database.
Fiscal: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: opposes a mandated wage floor, strongly agreed free enterprise is essential, wants to stop federal deficit borrowing and eliminate fraud.

Sources: [1]

Ballotpedia

FMeredith R Lawson RoweDemocratic

Incumbent state representative, District 5; Democrat.

LifeFFamilyFReligious libertyF2nd AmendmentFLimited gov’tFFiscalF

Incumbent Democrat; 0 of 9 scored 2023-26 roll calls went the conservative way (scored votes on abortion, gender-identity/family, religious liberty, higher-ed/property-tax and the property-tax veto override). Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio; endorsed by Abortion Forward (formerly Pro-Choice Ohio); NRA-PVF grade F; Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate. iVoterGuide rates Liberal.

Life: Voted no on HB 347 (SHE WINS Act, abortion informed consent; 2026 House passage), HB 485 (Baby Olivia Act, fetal-development instruction; 2025 House passage) and HB 324 (Patient Protection Act, limits on prescribing abortion pills; 2025 House passage) (0 of 3 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
Family: Voted no on HB 249 (Indecent Exposure Modernization Act / adult cabaret; 2026 House passage) (0 of 1 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
Religious liberty: Voted no on HB 486 (Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act, Judeo-Christian heritage instruction; 2025 House passage) and HB 21 (Health Care Sharing Ministries Freedom to Share Act; 2025 House passage) (0 of 2 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
2nd Amendment: NRA-PVF 2026 grade F. Named a 2026 Gun Sense Candidate by Moms Demand Action.
Limited gov’t: Voted no on SB 1 (Advance Ohio Higher Education Act; 2025 House passage) and HB 335 (inside-millage property-tax limits; 2025 House passage) (0 of 2 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
Fiscal: Voted no on HB 96 line-item veto Item #66 (property-tax/school-levy reform; 2025 House override vote) (0 of 1 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Ballotpedia

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