Two Democrats enter Ohio's 2026 Senate race
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Two Democrats have filed to run for U.S. Senate in next year's special election.
Chris Volpe filed to run for the Democratic Senate candidacy on June 4, and Lynnea Lau filed to run on May 23. Lau is from Toledo and Volpe is from Columbus, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Former Lt. Gov. John Husted is serving as Ohio's Senator until a November 2026 special election. As Husted was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Vice President J.D. Vance, Ohioans will get the chance to vote on who will complete Vance's term, which runs through 2028. See previous coverage of Husted's appointment in the video player above.
What Ohio State is and is not changing to comply with Senate Bill 1
Lau and Volpe both hope to compete with Ohio's Republican candidate for Senate next fall, likely Husted, who filed to retain his seat in April with President Donald Trump's backing.
Lau graduated from the University of Toledo and honorably completed her service in the Air Force in 2006. She works in healthcare and academia, and her website lists both as priorities in her candidacy. She also said she wants to use her experience in executive leadership to bring jobs to Ohio. Lau also wants immigration reform that provides undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship, and hopes to support scientific research in Ohio.
Volpe calls himself a 'son of Ohio' and graduated from Ohio State. He founded several companies in the computer game industry. Volpe said he is running without corporate or lobbyist funding, and won't spend money on 'expensive consultants and advertising.' He wants to run on a platform of increased accountability for lawmakers.
Other Democratic candidates have been rumored to be running, but none have officially entered the race. Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who narrowly lost his Senate seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in the fall, is the leading name but has not announced any run for political office next year. The long-serving Democrat has been linked to both the Senate race and a race for Ohio Governor.
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