Who is running for Ohio Senate District 17 in Ohio in 2026?

Brian A. Deer (D), Shane Wilkin (R)

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 Senate District 17

Ohio Senate District 17 — 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

FBrian A. DeerDemocratic

Candidate for State Senator, District 17 (Democrat).

LifeFFamilyFReligious libertyF2nd AmendmentFLimited gov’tDFiscalC

Non-incumbent Democrat; no 2023-26 Ohio General Assembly voting record. Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio; Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate. iVoterGuide rates Moderate. Evidence pass (2026-10-29): marriage, religious liberty, limited government, fiscal now graded from iVoterGuide questionnaire answers. No party-default sub-grades remain.

Life: Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio (2026).
Family: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: disagreed that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
Religious liberty: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: agreed individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it violates their moral or religious beliefs.
2nd Amendment: Named a 2026 Gun Sense Candidate by Moms Demand Action.
Limited gov’t: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: favors government-funded health insurance for all who want it and opposed eliminating the U.S. Department of Education; opposed a government medical-illness database.
Fiscal: Answered iVoterGuide questionnaire: agreed free enterprise and private property are essential; supports the minimum wage ("I am for it"); proposed annual instead of biennial state budgets.

Sources: [1] [2] [3]

Ballotpedia

AShane WilkinRepublican

Incumbent state senator, District 17; Republican.

LifeAFamilyAReligious libertyA2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tAFiscalA

Incumbent Republican; 13 of 13 scored 2023-26 roll calls went the conservative way (scored votes on gender-identity/family, religious liberty, guns, higher-ed/property-tax and the property-tax veto override). Endorsed by Ohio Right to Life PAC; Buckeye Firearms PAC endorsed (grade A+); NRA-PVF grade A (endorsed). iVoterGuide rates Conservative.

Life: Endorsed by Ohio Right to Life PAC for the 2026 general election. Context only (not scored): voted yes on SJR 2 (2023 60% voter-approval threshold for constitutional amendments, placed ahead of the Nov. 2023 abortion amendment).
Family: Voted yes on HB 68 (ban on gender-transition procedures for minors + Save Women's Sports Act; 2023 Senate passage and 2024 Senate veto override), HB 8 (Parents' Bill of Rights; 2024 Senate passage), SB 104 (Protect All Students Act, single-sex school bathrooms; 2024 Senate final concurrence) and SB 156 ('success sequence' curriculum; 2025 Senate passage) (5 of 5 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
Religious liberty: Voted yes on HB 214 (Religious Expression Days Act; 2024 Senate passage) and SB 34 (display of historical founding documents in schools; 2025 Senate passage) (2 of 2 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
2nd Amendment: Voted yes on SB 58 (ban on firearm insurance/fee mandates + Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act; 2024 Senate final concurrence), SB 148 (Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act; 2024 Senate passage) and SB 278 (damages against municipalities that pass gun-control measures; 2026 Senate passage) (3 of 3 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
Limited gov’t: Voted yes on SB 1 (Advance Ohio Higher Education Act; 2025 Senate passage) and HB 335 (inside-millage property-tax limits; 2025 Senate passage) (2 of 2 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).
Fiscal: Voted yes on HB 96 line-item veto Item #66 (property-tax/school-levy reform; 2025 Senate override vote) (1 of 1 recorded votes on these measures went the conservative way).

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

Ballotpedia

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