ASHLAND — New federal congressional districts were adopted by the Ohio Redistricting Commission in October 2025.
These new districts will be used beginning in the 2026 election cycle, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office. Ashland County now belongs to District 7, which also includes Medina County and portions of Cuyahoga and Wayne counties.
Congressman Max Miller (R-Bay Village) currently represents District 7. Miller is serving his second term, which ends Jan. 3, 2027 with an election in 2026. He is unopposed in the GOP primary.
Eight candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination in the upcoming May 5 primary election. Those candidates include:
- John R. Butchko
- Ann Marie Donegan
- Michael Eisner
- Ed FitzGerald
- Keith Mundy
- Brian Poindexter
- Laura Rodriguez-Carbone
- Scott Schulz
The Ashland County Democratic Party organized a congressional candidate forum for the eight candidates to attend on April 9. Seven of the eight candidates were able to attend in person and Schulz was able to attend virtually via video.
Candidates were asked three questions by officials from the Ashland County Democratic Party. Each question was answered in the following order:
- Rodriguez-Carbone
- Mundy
- Donegan
- Poindexter
- FitzGerald
- Eisner
- Butchko
- Schulz
Those three questions, in chronological order, included:
- What are your top three policy priorities if elected? (Below is an audio recording of candidates’ answers to the first question, courtesy of Heather Sample, chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party.)
- Why should voters elect you and not your opponent? (Below is an audio recording of candidates’ answers to the second question, courtesy of Heather Sample, chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party.)
- Do you support comprehensive immigration reform? If elected, what would your priorities be to change our current system? (Below is an audio recording of candidates’ answers to the third and final question, courtesy of Heather Sample, chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party.)
Learn more about each candidate
Below is more information about all eight candidates, provided by Heather Sample, chair of the Ashland County Democratic Party.
John R. Butchko
Butchko graduated from Danbury Lakeside High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University in 1977, and a graduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1980.
Butchko’s career experience includes working as a Methodist pastor. His stances include “one can have hopes for all citizens and residents of the USA without thinking that there must be a national solution.”
“Finding a way to tax people is not the solution. Social Security and Medicare need to be protected. An understanding of the employment tax that goes beyond it being an insurance premium. Immigration and work visas should be simple to understand. They should be enforced in compassionate ways that cause the least amount of harm,” he said.
Ann Marie Donegan
Donegan is a registered nurse, business owner and former mayor of Olmsted Falls. Her campaign focuses on economic fairness, healthcare access, government accountability and policies aimed at strengthening working families.
“In Congress, I’ll fight to lower prescription drug costs by taking on the executives profiting at our expense. I’ll protect and strengthen the ACA so families don’t lose coverage. I’ll defend rural healthcare so no one has to drive an hour to see a doctor,” Donegan said on her website. “I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare — because seniors earned those benefits and they are not budget lines to be cut so executives can keep their bonuses.
“I’ll oppose reckless tariffs that are crushing our farmers and driving up costs for small businesses across this district. I’ll fight to reform our tax structure so it’s fair for working families — not just the people at the top. And I’ll secure our borders and enforce our laws in a way that’s consistent with the Constitution and the dignity that defines who we are.”
Michael Eisner
Eisner, a Solon attorney, “believes in compassion over cruelty, a strong economy, reducing the deficit, protecting individual rights and providing freedom and opportunity for all.”
“I am committed to offering a new kind of representation where you see me, you hear me, you know me. Gone are the days of hunting down your Congressperson only to find that they have canceled town halls or won’t answer their phones. Ohioans need real representation and real solutions to not only correct the damage that has been done by this administration but find a better way. Ohioans deserve better and they deserve to live in harmony — not ‘us vs them,’ not ‘Democrat vs Republican,'” he said.
Ed FitzGerald
FitzGerald, an attorney, served as a special agent of the FBI before holding office as mayor of Lakewood. He also served as Cuyahoga County executive and assistant prosecutor. In an interview, FitzGerald said his concerns about the direction of the country under President Donald Trump spurred him to run.
Keith Mundy
Mundy’s career experience includes owning a legal documents research and delivery business and working as a legal researcher, labor law investigator and server of legal papers. Mundy, of Cleveland, was campaign manager for several Democratic candidates and has run for Congress previously.
He “proudly represents the values and aspirations of the residents in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District. Committed to fostering transparent governance and advocating for the rights of the community, Keith’s campaign prioritizes proactive engagement and practical solutions to the challenges we face today,” according to his website.
Brian Poindexter
Poindexter is a Union ironworker, organizer and former at-large Brookpark city councilman.
“Brian is a fighter for workers because he is a worker. Whether on a machine shop floor, walking a beam on a Cleveland skyscraper, or sitting down with a resident to solve a local issue, Brian Poindexter lives and breathes working-class values and will bring that pro-worker mentality to the halls of Congress,” according to his website.
Laura Rodriguez-Carbone
Rodriguez-Carbone, of Lakewood, has had over 20 years of experience working with Federal agencies and community service programs.
“Working families do not experience their problems one at a time. High rent, expensive groceries, child care costs, prescription bills, stagnant wages and economic uncertainty all hit the same household budget,” she said. “I am running for Congress to make life more affordable, protect the care and benefits people depend on, and build an economy that rewards work instead of wealth.
“I have spent 23 years helping run the programs people rely on. I am not guessing about how government works. I know how it works and I know what happens when politicians slash budgets and services people are entitled to.”
Scott Schulz
Schulz is an educator, having served in higher education administration and on the Bay Village Board of Education. He is an advocate for public education and a mentor for veterans. He and his family reside in Bay Village.
“Our government, ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ should enhance our lives. Representatives should grasp our needs, prioritize our concerns, and bridge political divides,” he said. “They should listen, learn and collaborate in search of bipartisan solutions to address the complex challenges confronting our nation and communities.
“I acknowledge I don’t have all the answers, but I am committed to fostering cooperation, challenging the notion that compromise is a dirty word in Washington, DC.”
