Amy Hines, a Democrat, is running for Butler County auditor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Nancy Nix, according to BallotReady election data.

Hines has not held public office before.

Asked why she is running, Hines said in our candidate questionnaire: "I am running because I am concerned about the quality of our public conversation. Disagreement is healthy, but it becomes much harder to solve problems when we cannot begin with facts we can find and trust. The Auditor's office can help provide that foundation."

Candidate information

Party: "Democrat. I value the perspective my party brings, but the Auditor's work belongs to everyone. If elected, my responsibility would be to apply the rules consistently, provide trustworthy information, and serve every Butler County resident fairly."

Education: "B.S. in Marketing, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, with departmental honors. I also attended the University of Cincinnati College of Law."

Family: "I married Dirk Hines 36 years ago, when he was in medical school. … Later, I postponed law school when our foster children became available for adoption, and our family grew quickly through adoption and birth. We now have six children … Dirk and I live on a small farm near Oxford."

Occupation: "Current: Business and operations consultant; artist/potter."

Previous elected or appointed office: "None. I have not previously held elected or appointed public office."

Family in politics or government: "No. No one in my immediate family works in politics or government."

Experience and public service

Asked about her work history, Hines said in our questionnaire: "General Manager, First Miami Student Credit Union; operations and compliance work with Generations Wealth and Altiora; real estate sales with RE/MAX and Coldwell Banker; university administration at Miami University; and Church Business Administrator at Westwood First Presbyterian Church."

Asked what accomplishments show she can handle the job, Hines said: "I have managed a federally regulated credit union, worked in financial operations and compliance, and handled real estate transactions where accuracy and documentation mattered. As a church business administrator, I modernized accounting, payment, expense, and internal-control systems."

On the issues

How her background would shape the office

Asked how her finance and real estate experience would guide her approach, Hines said in our questionnaire: "I would approach the office as an administrator first. My background in banking, financial services, real estate, compliance, and operations taught me to understand the system, get the numbers right, follow the rules consistently, and improve processes when they are confusing or outdated."

County spending transparency

Asked about her pledge to put county spending data on the auditor's website front page, Hines said: "I would create one clear doorway from the Auditor's homepage into county finances: the big picture, trends over time, spending by department and category, individual transactions, and the source documents behind them, with data people can search, sort, and download."

LLC property-tax loophole

Asked what specific change she would seek from state lawmakers, Hines said: "I would ask Ohio lawmakers to require the transfer of a controlling interest in an LLC or other entity that owns real estate to be reported much like a direct sale of the property. … The problem is when changing ownership of the entity allows a real estate sale to disappear from the information used to value property."

Differences from her opponent

Hines said: "My opponent brings deep experience in accounting and county government. I bring a broader mix of experience in banking, financial services, real estate, compliance, operations, higher education, and nonprofit administration. … I would bring fresh attention to the Auditor's office, respect what works, ask thoughtful questions about what could work better, and focus on making financial and property information clearer, more accessible, and more useful."

Endorsements

According to the Butler County Democratic Party's 2026 election guide:

  • Mike Miller, Butler County commissioner candidate (Democratic)

Candidate responses were collected through the West Chester-Liberty Herald's candidate questionnaire. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words.