Voters in Hyde Park, Oakley and surrounding Cincinnati neighborhoods head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to pick their state representative in Ohio House District 26.

Democrat Ashley Bryant Bailey, the incumbent, faces Republican Tom Brinkman. The district covers Hyde Park, Oakley, Evanston, Bond Hill and nearby neighborhoods, according to Bryant Bailey's biography on the Ohio House website.

Polls are open statewide from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to WTOL. Voters in line when polls close at 7:30 p.m. will still be allowed to cast ballots.

The candidates

Bryant Bailey, a Cincinnati Democrat who grew up in Roselawn, took office Oct. 1, 2025, following her selection by House Democrats to replace Sedrick Denson. She is seeking her first full term. Before her appointment, she worked in digital strategy and political organizing, including roles at Procter & Gamble and as state digital director for Obama for America in Ohio, according to her candidate profile.

She listed education, healthcare and gun safety among her priorities on her campaign website. Her endorsements include the Cincinnati AFL-CIO, the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters and the Hamilton County Democratic Party.

Brinkman, a Mount Lookout resident, is a former state representative who served two separate stints in the Ohio legislature. He served in the Ohio House from 2001 through 2008 and again from 2015 through 2022, most recently representing District 27. He founded the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) in 1999, a group that opposes tax levies in southwestern Ohio.

Brinkman's endorsements include the Hamilton County Republican Party and Cincinnati Right to Life. No policy questionnaire responses from Brinkman were available at the time of publication of his candidate profile.

Both candidates ran unopposed in the May 5 primary, according to Cleveland.com's primary results.

What to bring

Ohio voters must present an unexpired photo ID to cast a regular ballot. Accepted forms include an Ohio driver's license, state ID card, U.S. passport or military ID. Digital IDs stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet are not accepted, according to WTOL.

Voters without acceptable ID at the polls may cast a provisional ballot and must provide ID to the county board of elections by Saturday, Nov. 7, to have it counted.

Hamilton County voters may also see new polling locations. The county board of elections consolidated some precincts since the last election and sent postcards to affected voters, WVXU reported.

Results

Unofficial results are expected shortly after polls close at 7:30 p.m. The Ohio Secretary of State will post results on its live results page. Election night results are unofficial until certified, a process the secretary of state's office said takes about three weeks after the election.