Dayton-area congressional race remains closely watched as votes are counted
By Gery L. Deer | The Jamestown Comet
ELECTION UPDATE: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 | Approximately 11:38 p.m. EST
JAMESTOWN, Ohio — Democrats are projected to take control of both chambers of Congress following Tuesday’s midterm elections, while Ohio voters have elected former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown to return to Washington and former state health director Amy Acton as the state’s next governor.
Closer to home, the race for Ohio’s 10th Congressional District has attracted considerable attention as Democratic challenger Kristina Knickerbocker attempts to unseat longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, who has represented the Dayton area for more than two decades.
Turner, a 12-term incumbent and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, faced an unexpectedly competitive challenge from Knickerbocker, an Air Force veteran and nurse. The contest drew increased attention and campaign spending during the final weeks before Election Day.
The district includes portions of Greene, Montgomery and Butler counties. Greene County’s election-night reporting showed Turner receiving 27,079 votes, or 53.44%, compared with Knickerbocker’s 22,282 votes, or 43.98%. Libertarian Thomas McMasters received 1,308 votes, or 2.58%, with all 151 Greene County precincts reporting. Those figures represent Greene County only, not the entire congressional district.
Brown Returns to U.S. Senate
The Associated Press called Ohio’s U.S. Senate election for Democrat Sherrod Brown at approximately 11:11 p.m. Tuesday, defeating Republican incumbent Jon Husted.
Brown, 73, previously represented Ohio in the Senate for 18 years before losing his reelection bid to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024. His victory returns him to the Senate just two years after that defeat.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted to the Senate in January 2025, filling the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president. Brown will serve the remaining two years of that Senate term, which expires in January 2029.
Acton Wins Ohio Governor’s Race
Democrat Amy Acton has won Ohio’s gubernatorial election, defeating Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, according to election-night reporting.
Acton, 60, previously served as director of the Ohio Department of Health and became widely known for her role in the state’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her election ends 16 years of Republican control of the Ohio governor’s office and makes her the first woman elected governor in Ohio history. She succeeds Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who was prohibited by term limits from seeking another consecutive term.
Democrats Projected to Control Congress
Nationally, news organizations project that Democrats will regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, ending the Republican majority that began in January 2023.
Democrats have also secured enough Senate victories to take control of that chamber, according to CBS News projections late Tuesday. The party entered the election facing a 53-47 Republican Senate majority and needed a net gain of four seats to establish a 51-seat majority.
Democratic Senate gains included Ohio and North Carolina, with additional victories projected in other states. Some individual congressional races remained undecided late Tuesday, meaning final party seat totals were not yet established.
The projected changes in congressional control will give Democrats majorities in both the House and Senate during the final two years of the president’s current term, beginning with the new Congress in January 2027.
Election-night results remain unofficial until the appropriate state and local election authorities certify them. The Jamestown Comet will continue following the 10th Congressional District contest and other races affecting Greene County and the Miami Valley.