Pink Rose Society

Ohio 3rd Congressional District 2026

The Columbus seat — and the clearest illustration of how the 2025 remap works. OH-3 sits entirely within Franklin County and takes in most of the city (inner Columbus plus Bexley, Whitehall, and Franklin's share of Reynoldsburg). It is one of only two Democratic strongholds Ohio's map preserves, at roughly D+21.

The matchup

  • Democratic: Joyce Beatty (incumbent), representing the seat since 2013; re-elected 2024 with about 70.7%. Won her May 2026 primary over challenger Joe Gerard.
  • Republican: Cleophus Dulaney.
  • Election: November 3, 2026. Safe Democratic — not competitive.

Why it matters

OH-3 is the vote sink. Packing Democratic voters into a single overwhelmingly blue Columbus district is what lets the surrounding seats — OH-15 and the exurban districts — stay Republican. The seat is safe precisely because the map is drawn to make it safe; its lopsidedness is a feature of the statewide design, not an accident of geography. The genuinely contested Ohio House races are elsewhere — OH-1 and OH-9.

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