Allison Russo, a Democratic state representative from Upper Arlington, is running for Ohio secretary of state in the Nov. 3 general election. She faces Republican Robert Sprague and Libertarian Tom Pruss.
Asked why she is running, Russo said in our candidate questionnaire: "I'm running because no office is more critical to protecting Ohioans' power to hold their government accountable than Secretary of State. … As Secretary of State, I'll be relentlessly pro-voter. I'll ensure every eligible voter has the information and tools they need to make their voice heard."
Candidate information
Party: Democrat
Residence: Upper Arlington, Ohio
Family: "I have been married to my husband Brian, a US Air Force veteran, for 26 years. We have three children and live in Upper Arlington," Russo said in our questionnaire.
Education: "I hold a Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy from the George Washington University and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham," Russo said in our questionnaire. She also holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Mississippi University for Women, according to BallotReady.
Occupation: "Before being elected to the Ohio Statehouse, I spent more than 20 years working on issues related to public health policy, advising federal agencies, health systems, and policymakers on how to improve systems and access to care among our most vulnerable populations," Russo said in our questionnaire.
Experience and public service
Russo represents Ohio House District 7, which includes Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and portions of Columbus. She has served in the Ohio House since 2019, according to BallotReady.
Asked about her elected service, Russo said in our questionnaire: "I was elected by my colleagues to serve as the Ohio House Minority Leader, where I led the House Democratic Caucus for nearly four years before stepping back to run for Secretary of State."
She also served on the Ohio Redistricting Commission and ran as the Democratic candidate in the 2021 special election for Ohio's 15th Congressional District, according to Wikipedia.
On the issues
Differences from opponents: "I'm running to be a fair, independent, and unbiased arbiter of Ohio's elections—a guardrail against political pressure, not a rubber stamp for it," Russo said in our questionnaire. Speaking about Republican opponent Robert Sprague, she added: "He has embraced fringe claims about election fraud, called for eliminating ballot drop boxes, and backed making it harder for eligible Ohioans to vote by mail." Sprague's responses to these and other issues are covered in his own candidate profile.
Ballot language and redistricting: "Ballot language should be accurate, clear, and as unbiased as possible. As chair of the Ballot Board, the Secretary of State must ensure transparency about how and why ballot language is changed from the language originally approved for petition circulation," Russo said in our questionnaire.
Drop boxes: "Ohioans deserve convenient, secure access to the ballot, and ballot drop boxes are a safe, proven way to make voting more accessible. … Drop boxes must be monitored by video surveillance around the clock, with footage available as a public record," Russo said in our questionnaire.
Issue 3 (photo ID): "Issue 3 is a political stunt—not a solution to a problem Ohio voters face. Ohio already has photo ID requirements and some of the strictest ID rules in the country," Russo said in our questionnaire. She added: "Ohio needs election policies that protect both security and access while allowing administrators and lawmakers to respond efficiently as circumstances change, not more partisan political stunts."
Record: "Serving on the Ohio Redistricting Commission gave me a front-row seat to our broken redistricting process. … The confusing ballot language used on that issue reinforced why Ohio needs a Secretary of State who puts voters first," Russo said in our questionnaire.
