VAN WERT — Van Wert County voters backed Republican candidates by wide margins in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, even as Democrats won the same races statewide, according to unofficial results reported by the Associated Press and the Ohio Secretary of State. All results remain unofficial until the Van Wert County Board of Elections completes its official canvass and certifies them.
In the special election for U.S. Senate, Republican Jon Husted received 7,213 votes in Van Wert County to 2,547 for Democrat Sherrod Brown, according to the Associated Press county results. Libertarian William Redpath received 473 votes and independent Greg Levy received 278. Statewide, the Associated Press called the race for Brown, who will return to the Senate after defeating the appointed incumbent.
The governor’s race followed the same pattern at home. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy received 7,266 votes in Van Wert County to 2,701 for Democrat Amy Acton, according to the Associated Press. Statewide, Acton was called the winner, becoming the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the first Democrat elected to the office in 20 years.
For secretary of state, Republican Robert Sprague led in Van Wert County with 7,504 votes to 2,588 for Democrat Allison Russo and 394 for Libertarian Tom Pruss, according to the Associated Press. Russo won the office statewide. In the county’s reporting, 31 of 32 precincts had reported, or 96.88 percent, with an estimated 98.8 percent of the expected vote counted, the Associated Press reported.
Statewide, voters also approved Issue 3, the constitutional amendment placing Ohio’s photo identification requirements for voting in the state constitution, according to unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State. The Associated Press called Issue 3 on election night. A county-level breakdown for Issue 3 in Van Wert County was not included in the Associated Press county reports reviewed for this story.
None of the Van Wert County numbers are final yet. The Ohio Secretary of State notes on its election results site that results are unofficial until certification, that military and overseas absentee ballots sent by mail have up to four days after Election Day to arrive and be counted, and that qualifying provisional ballots are considered during the official canvass. Those remaining ballots are included before a county certifies.
Under Secretary of State Directive 2026-48, on the canvass and certification of the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, county boards may begin the official canvass no earlier than Sunday, Nov. 8, must begin no later than Wednesday, Nov. 18, and must complete it no later than Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2026. The Van Wert County Board of Elections will conduct that canvass for this county, submit its official results to the Secretary of State, and only then will the county’s results become official and feed into the statewide certification.