This is the second of two conversations I recorded with the Democratic candidates for Ohio Secretary of State. If you caught the first one with Dr. Bryan Hambley, welcome back. If not, it’s worth going back to — but this one stands on its own. Today I’m sitting down with State Representative Allison Russo.

Russo has been in the Ohio House since 2019, when she flipped a Republican-held seat as a first-time candidate and went on to serve as House Minority Leader — the top Democrat in the chamber. Before politics, she spent more than two decades in public health policy, and she grew up in rural Mississippi, raised by a single mom who worked her way into a union carpentry apprenticeship. We talk about what it’s like to lead a caucus under a supermajority, how she thinks about the role of Secretary of State, what 2026 looks like for Ohio Democrats, and why she believes primaries are actually good for the party.

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend going back to the overview episode, where I lay out both candidates and the key fault lines in this race. And if you missed it, the full conversation with Dr. Bryan Hambley is already available.

Shownotes

Allison Russo’s campaign website

Full transcript on page 2.

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