Pink Rose Society

Ohio House District 44 2026

The one genuinely competitive statehouse race in the Toledo area — an open seat in a district that mixes Democratic Toledo with Republican-leaning exurbs.

The matchup

  • Democratic: David J. Fournier, an attorney from Whitehouse.
  • Republican: Edward L. Schimmel, who won the May 2026 GOP primary with ~64%.
  • Open seat — Republican Josh Williams left it to run for OH-9 (and lost the primary).
  • Election: November 3, 2026.

Why it matters

HD-44 spans South, Central, and East Toledo (Lucas County) plus northern Wood and Ottawa counties — that Lucas/Wood mix is what makes it swing, where the rest of Toledo's House seats are safe Democratic. In a county where almost nothing is contested, this open seat is the exception, and the local counterpart to the suburban battlegrounds around Cincinnati and Cleveland.

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