Ohio Secretary of State 2026 Race Explained! Issue 3 Splits Democrats & Trump Defends Max Miller!

Ohio has an open race for Secretary of State for the first time since 2018, and almost nobody is watching it. Republican Treasurer Robert Sprague faces Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo, with Libertarian Tom Pruss also on the November 3 ballot. This episode breaks down what the office actually controls, where both candidates stand, and the Issue 3 disagreement that split the Democratic ticket in public.

On August 7, Democratic governor nominee Dr. Amy Acton announced she supports Issue 3, the voter ID amendment. Allison Russo voted against the resolution that put it on the ballot and called it flawed and fast tracked. Robert Sprague supports it. If you are an Ohio Democrat, your nominee for governor and your nominee for Secretary of State are telling you opposite things about the same ballot question. Both arguments are laid out here at their strongest.

Also covered: Ohio's kratom ban, and the company that told a Columbus judge it was selling roughly 59,000 bottles a day in this state. Gov. Mike DeWine's recovery housing executive order, and the jump from 356 recovery houses in 2022 to more than 1,700 today. The Ohio Supreme Court ruling that makes it harder for local councils to fast track a data center, and what it means in Ashville, Trenton, and Butler County. Springfield, temporary protected status, and a Republican governor asking a Republican president to change course. An Ohio 7 update, including the White House reversing course on Max Miller. And Ohio 6, where Rep. Michael Rulli filed 22 stock trades past the STOCK Act deadline.

Every claim carries a named source, out loud, at the moment it is made.

CHAPTERS 05:25 Cold open 06:46 Welcome and today's rundown 09:40 Ohio's kratom ban and 59,000 bottles a day 19:15 Recovery housing: DeWine's executive order 23:55 Ohio Supreme Court limits emergency resolutions on data centers 26:28 Trenton, Butler County, and the local data center fight 27:32 Where Ramaswamy and Acton stand on data centers 31:15 Springfield, TPS, and DeWine's break with the White House 36:05 Ohio State and the Department of Education letter 38:30 Ohio 7 update and how Trump got involved 43:20 Ohio 6: Michael Rulli and the STOCK Act 46:30 Main event: the Ohio Secretary of State race 48:33 Robert Sprague, Republican 50:23 Allison Russo, Democrat 54:36 Issue 3 and the split in the Democratic ticket 58:30 Trump's election order and where courts left it 1:04:05 Research on a Dime: emergency rules and the STOCK Act 1:07:20 Closing

KEY DATES FOR OHIO VOTERS Voter registration deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026 Early in person and absentee voting begins: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Check your registration and find your polling place at ohiosos.gov

SOURCES CITED Signal Ohio, kratom sales and the ban, 8/13/26 Ideastream Public Media, recovery housing order, 8/11/26 Ohio Capital Journal, Ashville data center ruling, 8/14/26 Ohio Capital Journal, Springfield and ICE reporting, 8/14/26 Signal Ohio, Acton backs Issue 3, 8/7/26 Signal Ohio, Secretary of State primary results, 5/5/26 Politico, the White House and Max Miller, 8/10/26 NOTUS, Rulli's late stock disclosures, 8/11/26 Full source list with links is in the show notes on the site.

PODCAST NETWORK ALIVE Podcast Network. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/ r/PolicySolutions - A subreddit where people can post and discuss political solutions. Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/policysolutions/

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