Who's running in Ohio's 3rd congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Joyce Beatty currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Financial services and banking policy, as a senior member of that committee.
Racial equity and civil rights, drawing on her time chairing the Congressional Black Caucus.
Labour rights; she is endorsed by the Ohio Conference of Teamsters.
Federal investment in Columbus.
Housing and community development.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 3rd District since January 2013; re-elected in 2024 with 70.7%.
Chaired the Congressional Black Caucus in the 117th Congress.
Former minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives and senior administrator at Ohio State University.
Senior member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Beat Joe Gerard in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary.
Arguments in favor
The state's largest transport union endorsed her re-election.
— Ohio Conference of Teamsters
Arguments against
She drew a primary challenger who ran taking no donations at all, on the argument that campaign money is what stops members of Congress acting for the people they represent.
— Joe Gerard, her 2026 Democratic primary opponent
She has been criticised for accepting campaign contributions from financial services political action committees while sitting in a senior position on the committee that oversees the industry.
— Criticism first published in February 2020
What we couldn’t verify
The financial services PAC criticism dates from 2020; whether it has been repeated this cycle was not established, and it is recorded with that vintage attached.
No National Republican Congressional Committee material naming Beatty for the 2026 cycle could be found, and no criticism of her from Cleophus Dulaney's campaign was located.
A second published case for her re-election, beyond the Teamsters endorsement, could not be found.
Listening to central Ohio rather than party leadership; he says there is too much loyalty to party and not enough to the people who live and work in the district.
Protecting democracy and restoring common sense to government.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Business owner; grew up in Birmingham, Alabama.
Ran for this district in 2020 and lost the Republican primary.
Unopposed for the Republican nomination in the May 5, 2026 primary.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Dulaney by name could be found. Searched: his name with 'criticism', with 'opponent', against Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee material, against Joyce Beatty's campaign, and against Columbus Dispatch, 10TV and ABC6 coverage. Because no case against him exists on the record, no case for him is presented either.
His endorsements and fundraising were not established from sources read.
The district is safely Democratic; how he intends to change that was not established.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Ohio held its primary on May 5, 2026, under the new congressional map adopted in October 2025. Democratic incumbent Joyce Beatty beat Joe Gerard for renomination; Republican Cleophus Dulaney was unopposed. The district sits entirely inside Franklin County, taking in inner Columbus, Bexley, Whitehall and Franklin County's share of Reynoldsburg, and has been safely Democratic. Roster confirmed against Ballotpedia and 10TV reporting. Criticism of Dulaney by name could not be found, so his entry carries no arguments in either column.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Ohio ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.