Gabriel Mann

Three years ago Ohioans across the state, including you, helped to pass the Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment! That was a HUGE victory for Ohioans and it enshrined the right to contraception, fertility treatment, to continue one’s own pregnancy, manage a miscarriage, and access abortion for every Ohioan.

The work to protect that amendment is far from over. To ensure these rights are always defended, Abortion Forward is announcing our 2026 slate of candidates! Scroll down to view the list.

Will you stand up for reproductive freedom in Ohio and donate to fund our efforts to elect these candidates to office?

While the high-profile races for Ohio Governor and US Senator are dominating the headlines, our team is working to educate Ohio voters on the importance of three key races that have received less attention: Ohio Attorney General and Supreme Court of Ohio.

We are proud to recommend John Kulewicz for Ohio Attorney General. The Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment gives patients and providers the right to challenge existing abortion restrictions still on the books. Will the Ohio Attorney General respect the new section of the state constitution, or will he obstruct and appeal cases in an effort to block access to reproductive healthcare? John Kulewicz has made it clear that, as Ohio Attorney General, his client will be the Ohio Constitution and the people protected by it. 

Re-electing Justice Jennifer Brunner and putting Judge Marilyn Zayas on the Ohio Supreme Court are two of the most important votes for Ohioans in 2026. 

The Ohio Reproductive Freedom Amendment established a clear framework protecting everyone’s right to access abortion, but it is up to our court system to make sure that this amendment doesn’t just become a meaningless piece of paper.

We need justices that will enforce it, not ignore it. Help us elect Brunner and Zayas to Ohio’s highest court.

For abortion, forever, 

Kellie Copeland 
(she/her) 

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2026 Abortion Forward endorsements

US Senate – endorsed
Sherrod Brown

Congress – endorsed
District 1 Rep. Greg Landsman
District 3 Rep. Joyce Beatty
District 13 Rep. Emilia Sykes

Governor – Dr. Amy Acton – preferred
Attorney General – John Kulewicz – recommended
Secretary of State – Allison Russo – endorsed
Treasurer – Seth Walsh – endorsed
Auditor – Annette Blackwell – endorsed

Judicial Offices – recommended
Supreme Court of Ohio – Justice Jennifer Brunner
Supreme Court of Ohio – Judge Marilyn Zayas
Hamilton County Common Pleas Court – Judge Jennifer Branch
Hamilton County Domestic Court – Manisha Kotian

State Senate – endorsed
District 7 Cara Jacob
District 15 Rep. Latyna Humphrey
District 23 Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney
District 25 Sen. Bill DeMora

State House – endorsed
District 1 Rep. Dontavius Jarrells
District 4 Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio
District 5 Rep. Meredith Lawson-Rowe
District 6 Rep. Christine Cockley
District 8 Rep. Dr. Anita Somani
District 11 Rep. Crystal Lett
District 13 Rep. Tristan Rader
District 16 Scott DiMauro
District 17 Megan Coy
District 18 Davida Russell
District 19 Nicole Sigurdson
District 22 Rep. Darnell T. Brewer
District 26 Rep. Ashley Bryant Bailey
District 27 Rep. Rachel Baker
District 28 Rep. Karen Brownlee
District 31 Noah Spinner
District 36 Rose Lounsbury
District 38 Rep. Desiree Tims
District 39 Daquan Neal
District 40 Timothy Hornbacker
District 41 Rep. Erika White
District 43 Rep. Michele Grim
District 69 Amy Rigsby
District 70 Kim McCarthy
District 83 Sheila Coressel
District 84 Arienne C. Childrey
District 86 Kent Halloran
District 90 Collin Docterman
District 98 Scott Grund

Name: Dylan Dickinson, LISW
Pronouns: they/them

Abortion access is integral to every other social justice issue, whether racial, economic, educational, and more. When people are able to have the lives and families they want, it makes us all better.

Fun fact about me: When not doing abortion advocacy, I play rugby and read all sorts of stuff!

Name: Melissa Benson
Pronouns: she/her

The right to make decisions about your own body is a basic human right. The decision to have an abortion is profoundly personal and the pregnant person is the only one qualified to make decisions about what is right for them.

Abortion is healthcare. Abortion saves lives.

I awoke this morning to the sad news that Ohio’s own Gloria Steinem passed away at the age of 92. She was a native of East Toledo and never stopped advocating for people in Ohio.

I wanted to take this moment to share how Gloria’s work had a direct impact on abortion access in our state.

Former Governor John Kasich and then Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine abused their authority in an attempt to close the only abortion clinic in Toledo. Abortion Forward worked shoulder to shoulder with abortion activists in Toledo for five years fighting to keep the clinic open. After a lengthy court battle, it ultimately came down to whether or not a local hospital would sign a transfer agreement for the clinic to remain open.

At that critical moment in 2018, Gloria stood with us and issued this public statement:

“I was born and grew up mostly in Toledo. Later, when I needed an abortion — as has one in three American women at some time in our lives — I was in London, where it was safe and legal. This taught me why medical procedures should not be decided by politicians.

We must not allow a political regulatory scheme to close Toledo’s remaining abortion clinic. Its absence would not diminish the number of abortions but would increase the injury and death of women in my home city and state. Democracy begins with each person’s control of his or her own body. Without reproductive freedom, there is no democracy for America women.”

Gloria Steinem’s support and action was an important part of our successful effort to keep abortion safe and legal in Toledo.

That wasn’t the only time she supported the fight for abortion access in Ohio. Time and again, she showed up. She headlined fundraisers, spoke with reporters, met with local activists and elected officials, and knocked on the doors of Ohio voters.

Today, democracy is under attack and abortion is banned in 13 states, including Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. Protecting and expanding abortion access in Ohio is more important now than ever.

Please consider making a donation in Gloria’s memory to continue our work to keep abortion legal and accessible in Toledo and across Ohio.

As we mourn the passing of Gloria, I am grateful for her commitment and yours, to our work to ensure that the dignity of every person is valued, and to our mission of ensuring stigma-free abortion is always accessible without financial or political barriers.

For abortion, forever,

Kellie Copeland
(she/her)

Name: Daniela Duddleston
Pronouns: she/her

Our freedom to plan if, and when, we want to have a family is directly tied to our economic liberation and how we author our lives. Every birthing person is deserving to make that choice over their bodies. I want that access and freedom for everyone, just as I would want it for myself.