CINCINNATI, Ohio — Ohio Treasurer-elect Seth Walsh will begin a leave of absence from Cincinnati City Council on Monday, Nov. 9, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported, days after he won the statewide treasurer’s race by about 50,000 votes out of 4.5 million cast.
Walsh, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jay Edwards in the treasurer’s race, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported — a margin the Athens County Independent, citing the Ohio Secretary of State, likewise put at just around 50,000 votes, roughly a 51-49 split. Edwards, a former state representative from Nelsonville, did not carry even his hometown precincts, the Athens County Independent reported.
A formal resignation from council is expected to follow once the November 2026 election is officially certified, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. In the meantime, under a press release from Walsh’s office reported by the Enquirer, any council salary Walsh collects between Monday and the certification date will be donated to the city’s general fund.
Walsh has served on City Council since December 2022, when he was appointed to the seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. As treasurer, he will serve as the state’s chief investment officer and banker, overseeing about $275 billion in investments, according to the Enquirer.
His is one of two seats turning over at City Hall after this week’s election. Council member Meeka Owens is also expected to vacate her seat following her victory in the Hamilton County commissioner’s race, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Under the City Charter, whoever chooses a successor has 60 days to pick a new council member, and the appointee fills out the remainder of the term, which expires at the end of 2027, the Enquirer reported.
The treasurer’s race was among the closest statewide contests of the night and part of a broader Democratic sweep — Democrats won all but one statewide elected position on the November ballot, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Walsh, 35, lives in downtown Cincinnati, according to the Enquirer.
What happens next runs on two tracks: certification of the statewide results, which triggers Walsh’s formal council resignation and the charter’s 60-day successor clock in Cincinnati, and the January transition in Columbus, where Walsh is set to take office as treasurer on Jan. 11, 2027.