FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2026
Contact: Neil Bhaerman, nbhaerman@oft-aft.org
People Over Plutocrats: Pro-Worker Candidates Defeat Moneyed Opposition
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Yesterday, pro-worker, pro-education candidates won big, with Governor-elect Amy Acton and Senator-elect Sherrod Brown leading the ticket. Pro-worker candidates, endorsed by OFT and many other unions, also won statewide elections for Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Supreme Court, along with eight of Ohio's 15 congressional seats — despite a newly reinforced gerrymander. The newly elected U.S. Representatives include union ironworker Brian Poindexter, nurse practitioner Kristina Knickerbocker, and educator Don Leonard. Additionally, OFT endorsed candidates broke the anti-worker supermajority in the state house and picked up seats in the state senate. Three of OFT’s largest local unions, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Toledo Federation of Teachers, and Cleveland Heights Teachers Union, won critical funding levies that will protect the future of their schools and communities.
This tidal wave in support of public education and worker’s rights overcame historical spending, including billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy’s self-funded governor campaign, more than $30 million from out-of-state school privatization zealot and billionaire Jeff Yass, millions more from trillionaire Elon Musk, and at least $63 million from shady cryptocurrency speculators.
Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper released the following statement:
“Last night was both historic and healing. Ohio came out in huge numbers to say: we choose workers over billionaires, people over plutocrats. From the top of the ticket all the way to the bottom, OFT’s endorsed candidates ran on, and won on, a message of supporting public education, supporting workers, making life more affordable, and holding bad actor billionaires accountable.
There are many problems in Ohio and in Congress for these newly elected leaders to tackle, and we are confident that they will help heal neglected communities, unrig the economy, and demonstrate the principled, compassionate leadership that has been lacking all too often.”
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The Ohio Federation of Teachers is a state federation of 65 local unions representing more than 20,000 members who are active and retired public school teachers and staff, higher education faculty and staff, social workers, library workers, and public employees. OFT works to advance quality public education and higher education, intellectual freedom, and a voice in the workplace for Ohio’s education, public service, and social work professionals. OFT is affiliated with the 1.8 million member American Federation of Teachers.