David Pepper, Ohio

David Pepper is the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 2026, running as Amy Acton's running mate. A Yale University graduate with a J.D. from Yale Law School, he practiced law at Taft Stettinius and Hollister and served on the Cincinnati City Council and as a Hamilton County Commissioner before chairing the Ohio Democratic Party from 2015 to 2021. He is the author of several books on protecting democracy at the state level, including "Laboratories of Autocracy," and has become a nationally recognized voice on the dangers of gerrymandering and the importance of competitive state-level elections.