Cuyahoga County Council Turns Fully Democratic

Cuyahoga County Council is now controlled entirely by Democrats.

Courtney Scheff won a seat that Republicans had held for years. That victory gives her party a 11-0 majority on the council. The result marks a major shift in local power for the county.

The local changes happened alongside statewide wins in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrat Amy Acton won the race for Ohio governor. She is the first Black woman to hold that office in United States history. Sherrod Brown also reclaimed his U.S. Senate seat. He defeated Jon Husted with 49 percent of the vote to Husted's 47 percent.

Several other Ohio officials secured their positions or advanced in their districts. U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown won reelection in the 11th District. U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes won a third term in the 13th District. In the 5th District, Republican Bob Latta won reelection. Republican Dave Joyce also won reelection in the 14th District. Democrat Brian Poindexter won in the 7th District. Marcy Kaptur won reelection in the 9th District. Democrat Allison Russo won the Ohio Secretary of State race.

These results were reported on election night. The counts reflect the final outcome of the midterms across the state. The council shift in Cuyahoga County stands out as a key local development. It ends a period of split control on the board.