Weekly Political Recap — Week Ending May 9, 2026
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Ohio News
LOCAL: Mault and Smith survive contested Republican primaries; Mault advances to face Democrat Abby Spears in November
Scioto County voters delivered the long-awaited verdict Tuesday on the two Republican commissioner primaries that have dominated local politics since the indictment of Bryan Davis. Steven Will Mault defeated Yvonne Hale and Nate Hoover (2,744 / 2,262 / 1,454), and Merit Smith turned back challenger Adrian Harrison (3,579 to 2,789). Turnout came in at 22.04% (9,369 of 42,513 registered voters). Mault will now face Democratic nominee Abby Spears in the general election. (Follow-up to last week's primary preview.)
Game on: Ramaswamy vs. Acton race for Ohio governor begins
With the May 5 primary in the books, the most-expensive gubernatorial race in Ohio history is officially underway. Vivek Ramaswamy cruised through the GOP primary with 82% of the vote, while Dr. Amy Acton was unopposed on the Democratic side. Public polling already shows the race within single digits in a state Democrats haven't won at the gubernatorial level in 20 years; Acton's campaign is leaning on the historic $5.2 million Q1 quarter, while Ramaswamy is leaning on $25 million of his own money plus Trump and DeWine's endorsements. (Follow-up to last week's fundraising story.)
Sherrod Brown wins Democratic Senate primary, sets up marquee November matchup with Sen. Jon Husted
Former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown easily defeated first-time candidate Ron Kincaid to win Tuesday's Democratic primary in the special Senate election, putting him on a collision course with Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (who was unopposed) for the seat JD Vance vacated for the vice presidency. National Democrats are treating Ohio as their best 2026 pickup opportunity, and the race is expected to be one of the most expensive Senate contests in the country.
National News
Tennessee enacts new congressional map slicing up Memphis — first map drawn since SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act
Gov. Bill Lee signed Tennessee's new congressional map into law this week, breaking up Memphis (the state's last Democratic-held U.S. House seat) across multiple districts. It's the first congressional map drawn anywhere in the country since the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision raised the bar for plaintiffs challenging racially discriminatory maps under Section 2. The NAACP has filed suit, arguing the change comes too close to the election. Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina Republicans are racing to do the same. (Follow-up to last week's Voting Rights Act ruling.)
Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council recommends shifting disaster response to the states
The FEMA Review Council, created by Trump executive order, approved its final report this week recommending a "transformed" agency that pushes leadership of emergency response and recovery onto state, local, and tribal governments and privatizes much of federal flood insurance. The final report dropped an earlier draft proposal to cut FEMA staffing by 50% in favor of a less specific "strategic review of workforce requirements." The recommendations are non-binding but are expected to drive the Trump administration's next moves on disaster policy heading into hurricane season.