After 2025 council wins, Mansfield voters turn to 2026 statehouse, congressional and county races

Mansfield's municipal races are settled, but the next fights over jobs, schools, infrastructure and downtown investment will not be decided at City Hall alone. On Nov. 3, 2026, Richland County voters will choose representatives for Ohio House District 76 and U.S. House District 4 — and decide whether those officials can turn broad campaign themes into results for Mansfield and the county.

Jodie Perry won reelection as Mansfield mayor in November 2025. Shari Robertson won the city council at-large seat with 2,577 votes, ahead of Phillip E. Scott's 2,466, while Michael Miranda won the 1st Ward seat with 921 votes. Crystal Davis Weese won the 3rd Ward seat by two votes, defeating Eleazer Akuchie 487 to 485. Josh Bradley won the 5th Ward seat over Cody Zeigler, 1,004 to 394.

Those results have shifted attention to the state and federal officials whose decisions will help shape Mansfield's economic future. The state House and congressional primary, along with Mansfield local ballot issues, took place May 5, 2026. Ohio's projected political advertising spending for the 2026 cycle has grown to roughly $749 million, a sign of how much outside money is pouring into statewide, congressional and legislative contests.

For Richland County voters, however, the central question is closer to home: Can the candidates show how their agendas would help this community rather than simply echo national party messaging?

Ohio House District 76

Ohio House District 76 covers all of Richland County. Republican Marilyn John, the incumbent, is serving her third term and won the May 5 primary unopposed with 12,765 votes. Democrat Emily Adams has been identified by the Richland County Democratic Party as a candidate for the seat.

John has centered her campaign on workforce development, parental choice in education, infrastructure improvements and keeping tax dollars local in Richland County. Those issues reach directly into concerns about jobs, schools and city investment.

Adams has emphasized protecting unions, opposing right-to-work policies, and supporting environmental and clean-energy priorities, including clean-energy union jobs. She also supports reproductive rights, paid family leave, sensible gun laws, and LGBTQ+ and women's rights.

U.S. House District 4

Mansfield and Richland County fall within U.S. House District 4. Republican Jim Jordan, the incumbent, is seeking reelection. Democrat Joshua Kolasinski is running for the seat.

Kolasinski argues for federal investment that runs through local labor, rural high-speed internet and upgrades to water and power systems. He backs expanded apprenticeships and vocational training, support for trade schools and community colleges, lower student-loan interest rates, and workforce programs tied to local employer needs. His broader case is that housing, gas, health care, education and food need to cost less — and that policy should put workers ahead of shareholders so a full-time job provides economic stability.

Jordan's stated themes run in a different direction: lower taxes, fewer regulations, strong defense, border security and traditional American values.

Local Revenue and Education

Mansfield's May ballot put the local funding challenge in plain view. Voters considered two 0.25% city income-tax renewals: one for four years, from 2026 through 2029, splitting proceeds among safety services, parks and recreation, blight demolition and streetlights; and another for four years, from 2025 through 2028, for street and park-road rehabilitation and maintenance.

Education funding carries equally direct consequences for working families. Kolasinski opposes vouchers that divert money from public schools and links education to local employment through his apprenticeship and workforce proposals.

Accountability

Kolasinski calls for repealing Citizens United, stronger campaign-finance disclosure, a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks and term limits. Adams calls for dark-money groups to disclose donors and for elections to remain secure and accessible.

Before voting on Nov. 3, 2026, residents can ask the state House candidates to name the Mansfield projects they would champion, explain their votes on state education funding and voucher expansion, set measurable workforce or downtown-renewal goals, and say how they will report their work in Columbus.

Congressional candidates can be pressed to identify federal resources for downtown and job creation, explain their positions on education appropriations and infrastructure legislation, define economic goals for a two-year term, and make voting records and constituent services accessible.

The questions Richland County voters ask at candidate forums, town halls and doorsteps between now and November will determine whether they walk into the voting booth with real accountability — or only campaign slogans.