A 2024 primary election guide for Central Ohio
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Contested races for U.S. Senate and Franklin County prosecutor headline today's primary election ballot for Columbus-area voters.
Why it matters: Voters will decide the eventual balance of the Senate, a new approach to criminal justice and numerous issues affecting their pocketbooks.
How it works: All registered voters are eligible for this primary, not just those tied to a political party.
- Voters select a Democratic or Republican ballot, or can ask for an issues-only ballot.
- Find your polling place and view a sample ballot.
- Remember to bring a valid ID to vote.
Zoom in: Entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, state Sen. Matt Dolan and Secretary of State Frank LaRose seek the GOP Senate nomination to face incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown this November.
- Former President Trump backs Moreno and campaigned here last weekend, but Dolan has made a late push in a race that has largely focused on immigration and border security issues.
- The general election is expected to be an expensive toss-up race that could decide which party controls the Senate.
Also, three candidates are campaigning to replace fellow Democrat and retiring incumbent county prosecutor Gary Tyack.
- The candidates are Shayla D. Favor, a Columbus City Council member, Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel for the county prosecutor's office, and Natalia S. Harris, Delaware city attorney.
- Attorney John Rutan is running unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Across Franklin County, the ballot includes:
- 🏫 Six community and three school district levies;
- 🏛 Contested Statehouse races for both parties;
- ⬅ Democratic primaries for the Ohio Supreme Court, 15th Congressional District and Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge.
The fine print: Joe Biden and Donald Trump have already clinched their parties' presidential nominations, though their former opponents are still listed on the ballot.
