FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2026
April 28, 2026
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
AFGE Endorses 7 Congressional Candidates from Ohio Ahead of Next Tuesday’s Primary Election
Categories:
Senate, Congress, Election 2026, House
Largest federal worker union says labor-backed candidates will fight for federal employees and all working people
INDIANAPOLIS –– The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of seven congressional candidates from Ohio for the 2026 midterm elections. The statewide primary is May 5, and the general election is Nov. 3.
AFGE is endorsing six incumbents for reelection to their House seats: Reps. Greg Landsman, Joyce Beatty, Marcy Kaptur, Mike Turner, Shontel Brown, and Emilia Sykes. The union also is endorsing former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for reelection to the seat he held from 2007 to 2025.
“The candidates we are endorsing deserve your support because they will fight for working families in Ohio and nationwide,” AFGE District 6 National Vice President Arnold Scott said. “These elected leaders have fought to protect workers’ jobs and union rights, safeguard and improve health care and retirement benefits, and eliminate barriers that make it harder for everyone to achieve the American Dream.”
The endorsed candidates are:
Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senate
Born and raised in Mansfield, former Sen. Sherrod Brown is running to reclaim his seat in the U.S. Senate and reform a broken system to help people who work hard. While in Congress, Brown fought to restore Social Security benefits for over 250,000 Ohio workers, capped Ohio seniors’ insulin costs at $35, and expanded health care coverage for millions of veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits. He also led the fight with AFGE Local 1631 to save the Chillicothe VA Medical Center after it was slated for closure, thus protecting thousands of local jobs. Ohio’s families know they can trust Sherrod Brown to take on the cost-of-living crisis and to lower costs.
Greg Landsman, First Congressional District
A former public-school teacher and a strong advocate for labor, Greg Landsman spent his early career fighting for working families in Southwest Ohio by standing with unions and workers and supporting fair wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. Today, Landsman is proud to represent Southwest Ohio in Congress as the elected representative for Ohio’s First Congressional District, where he continues to champion what matters most to those at home: strengthening the middle class, protecting workers’ rights, making health care more affordable, fighting corruption, and improving public safety. AFGE members in the Cincinnati area can count on Greg Landsman to show up and fight for them.
Joyce Beatty, Third Congressional District
Joyce Beatty proudly represents Ohio’s Third Congressional District in Congress, where she sits on the House Financial Services Committee and serves on two of its subcommittees: National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, where she is the ranking member; and Financial Institutions. Beatty is a vocal leader and advocate for issues affecting Black Americans, including voting rights reform, police brutality, financial inequality, diversity and inclusion, health care access, and gun violence prevention. Joyce Beatty is known for using her powerful voice to connect people to policy and politics, and for being a bridge-builder.
Marcy Kaptur, Ninth Congressional District
Rep. Marcy Kaptur has spent her career delivering for the people of Northwest Ohio. The daughter of a Polish American working-class family in Toledo, Kaptur’s life and service mirror her district. As Ohio has moved rightward, Kaptur has held her ground through deep constituent relationships, her advocacy for workers and farmers, and her ability as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee to deliver major projects to the region. Special interests have spent millions trying to take her out, but she keeps winning in a district President Trump carried in 2024, proving her exceptional record in Congress and close ties to her community will overcome the GOP machine when it matters most.
Mike Turner, Tenth Congressional District
At the time of Mike Turner’s election to Congress in 2002, there was no advocate for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base or Ohio’s military installations on the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Turner filled that void and throughout his time in Congress, Wright-Patt has successfully doubled in size, adding about 19,000 jobs on-base. It remains the largest single-site employer in the state of Ohio. Thousands of additional jobs have been created in the Miami Valley in support of the base. Turner helped secure $182 million in federal funding for the construction of a new National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the Air Force’s primary source for foreign air and space threat analysis. Rep. Mike Turner was an original sponsor of the Protect America’s Workforce Act (HR 2550), which would restore full collective bargaining rights for federal workers.
Shontel Brown, Eleventh Congressional District
Shontel Brown is a relentless public servant who is committed to delivering results for the people of Ohio’s Eleventh Congressional District. Brown was first elected to the House of Representatives in a special election in November 2021 and has since been reelected twice. Rep. Brown’s top priorities are securing federal funds for her district, defending the benefits her constituents rely on, and advancing legislation that helps all working people in Ohio live a better life. Rep. Brown is a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and in office she has authored bills to close the racial health gap, strengthen anti-discrimination laws, and expand opportunity for Black Americans. Shontel Brown has been a fierce advocate for AFGE during her time in office, and AFGE members can count on her to show up and fight for them and all working people.
Emilia Sykes, Thirteenth Congressional District
In 2022, Emilia Sykes became the first Black person ever elected to represent Ohio’s Thirteenth Congressional District. She is committed to fighting for economic opportunities, safer communities, and affordable health care for Northeast Ohioans. Rep. Sykes brings along a spirit of bipartisan cooperation to get things done for those she serves. Emilia Sykes maintains a 100% voting record on issues critical to AFGE members, and she has been a great friend to AFGE by attending rallies and other functions to show support for federal employees.
AFGE previously endorsed Dr. Amy Acton for election as Ohio’s next governor and previously endorsed Adam Miller for election to the U.S. House representing Ohio’s 15th Congressional District.
More than 56,000 federal employees live in Ohio – caring for veterans, supporting the military, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents nearly 47,000 federal employees in District 6, which includes Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
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