Ashley Bryant Bailey, a Democrat appointed to Ohio House District 26 in October 2025, is running for a full term in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Tom Brinkman.
District 26 covers Hyde Park, Oakley, Evanston, Bond Hill and nearby Cincinnati neighborhoods, according to her biography on the Ohio House website.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Ohio House of Representatives, District 26
- Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
- Opponent: Tom Brinkman (Republican)
- Residence: Cincinnati (grew up in Roselawn)
- Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Cincinnati; high school diploma, Walnut Hills High School
- Appointment: The Democratic caucus unanimously selected Bryant Bailey to replace Sedrick Denson on Oct. 1, 2025, according to her campaign website.
Experience and public service
Before her appointment, Bryant Bailey worked in digital strategy and political organizing. She was a digital and social media manager at Procter & Gamble from 2008 to 2010, according to BallotReady profile data. She worked in digital practice at Weber Shandwick from 2010 to 2011 and then served as state digital director for Ohio at Obama for America from 2011 to 2012, according to BallotReady.
She was vice president at 270 Strategies from 2013 to 2015 and held the title of first vice president at Amalgamated Bank from 2015 to 2016, BallotReady records show. She also worked as an independent consultant from 2015 to 2020. She served as federal digital director at MoveOn in 2018 and as a messaging and digital consultant at Higher Heights for America from 2018 to 2024.
She is a co-founder of Win Black, a 501c4 organization she started in 2019, and a senior advisor at both Higher Heights for America and NewWorld, according to BallotReady. She served as managing partner and head of growth and partnerships at NewWorld from 2019 to 2024.
She has also served as a volunteer board member at UpSpring and at the Hamilton County Convention Facilities Authority, according to her Ohio House biography.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Bryant Bailey's responses on her campaign issues page via BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.
Education and childcare: Bryant Bailey said she supports universal pre-K, expanded funding for community-based childcare and public-private partnerships to increase licensed providers. She said she backs free community college tuition, union apprenticeship programs and training pipelines in healthcare, construction, early childhood education and renewable energy. She said she would work to strengthen afterschool and summer programs and reduce class sizes.
Healthcare and drug policy: Bryant Bailey said she would push for expanded sickle cell care and research, including newborn screening and increased state funding. On drug policy, she said she supports a state overdose prevention strategy rooted in public health, along with higher Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment and expanded mental health services.
Seniors and social services: Bryant Bailey said she supports expanded home care assistance, property tax relief and affordable home repairs to help seniors age in place. She said she would advocate for increased funding for home health workers and protections against elder abuse.
Gun safety and public safety: Bryant Bailey said she supports universal background checks, secure firearm storage laws and community violence intervention programs. She said she backs expanded law enforcement training on racial bias and de-escalation.
Economy and jobs: Bryant Bailey said she would advocate for state-backed reinvestment in underserved urban corridors, including grants to attract grocery stores and pharmacies. She said she supports career pathway programs targeting young people, returning citizens and workers in transition.
Endorsements
The following endorsements are listed on Bryant Bailey's campaign endorsements page and on BallotReady:
- Ironworkers Local 44
- Cincinnati Building Trades
- Cincinnati AFL-CIO
- Ohio AFL-CIO
- AFL-CIO
- Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters
- ACT Ohio Electrical Workers
- OCSEA, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association
- Hamilton County Democratic Party
Candidate positions were drawn from Bryant Bailey's responses on BallotReady and her campaign website. The Hyde Park-Oakley Record presents this profile as voter information and does not endorse candidates.
