State

State Representative, 7th District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 3
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A state representative votes on Ohio laws and the state budget in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Franklin County: Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, Marble Cliff, part of Clinton Township and part of the city of Columbus.

Candidates Compare by issue

Ukeme Awakessien Jeter

Democratic

Engineer and attorney

The gist

Supports an income-based property tax circuit breaker.
Supports stronger oversight of utility rate increases.
Supports expanding early childhood programs to lower childcare costs.
Supports paid internships, apprenticeships and school-to-workforce pipelines.
Supports abortion rights and access to reproductive health care.
Supports policies to retain and integrate immigrant professionals.

More about Ukeme

View sources (1)

Supports an income-based property tax circuit breaker.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter — Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · Candidate Connection survey: key messages · ballotpedia.org
“a circuit breaker that caps taxes based on income, while funding schools so relief doesn't come at their expense”
Supports stronger oversight of utility rate increases.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter — Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · Candidate Connection survey: key messages · ballotpedia.org
“I will push for stronger oversight & greater transparency on utility rate increases.”
Supports expanding early childhood programs to lower childcare costs.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter — Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · Candidate Connection survey: key messages · ballotpedia.org
“I will prioritize making childcare more affordable by expanding early childhood programs and supporting providers”
Supports paid internships, apprenticeships and school-to-workforce pipelines.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter — Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · Candidate Connection survey: key messages · ballotpedia.org
“supporting paid internships, apprenticeships, and co-op programs that give students real pathways into good-paying jobs”
Supports abortion rights and access to reproductive health care.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter — Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · Candidate Connection survey: key messages · ballotpedia.org
“I will fight to protect women's rights, including reproductive freedom and access to healthcare”
Supports policies to retain and integrate immigrant professionals.
Ukeme Awakessien Jeter — Ballotpedia (2026 Candidate Connection survey)
Candidate questionnaire · Ballotpedia · Candidate Connection survey: policy passions · ballotpedia.org
“policies that welcome, retain, and integrate immigrant professionals into Ohio communities”

William Mercier

Republican

The gist

Supports partnering with law enforcement for safer neighborhoods.
Supports a voice for parents and resources for educators.
Supports a reasonable tax structure to grow the economy.
Pledges to measure results and stop wasteful state spending.

More about William

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Supports partnering with law enforcement for safer neighborhoods.
Bill Mercier — Your Common Sense Candidate
Campaign website · Mercier for Citizens · Bill's Priorities: Public Safety · billmercier.com
“Partner with Law Enforcement for safer neighborhoods, responsible policing and strong communities.”
Supports a voice for parents and resources for educators.
Bill Mercier — Your Common Sense Candidate
Campaign website · Mercier for Citizens · Bill's Priorities: Education · billmercier.com
“Parents should have a voice. Educators should have resources and support to be successful.”
Supports a reasonable tax structure to grow the economy.
Bill Mercier — Your Common Sense Candidate
Campaign website · Mercier for Citizens · Bill's Priorities: Economy & Jobs · billmercier.com
“Build the Central Ohio economy of tomorrow with a reasonable tax structure for today.”
Pledges to measure results and stop wasteful state spending.
Bill Mercier — Your Common Sense Candidate
Campaign website · Mercier for Citizens · Bill's Priorities: Taxes & Spending · billmercier.com
“Fix what's broken and measure results. Stop wasting Ohioans' money.”

Cameron Koffel

Independent

The gist

Proposes capping homeowners' property taxes at a share of income.
Opposes total abolition of Ohio's property taxes.
Supports ending the data center sales tax exemption.
Supports a statewide 85% take-or-pay rule for data centers.
Supports updating school funding formula costs annually in law.
Proposes warrants for searching historical license plate reader data.
Supports repealing the automatic Medicaid expansion termination trigger.
Proposes requiring naloxone in every public school building.

More about Cameron

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Proposes capping homeowners' property taxes at a share of income.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 01 Property taxes: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“Property tax on an owner-occupied primary residence gets capped at a set percentage of household income.”
Opposes total abolition of Ohio's property taxes.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 01 Property taxes: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“Oppose total abolition.”
Supports ending the data center sales tax exemption.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 03 Electric bills: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“End the sales tax exemption on data center equipment and construction materials.”
Supports a statewide 85% take-or-pay rule for data centers.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 03 Electric bills: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“Codify the 85% take-or-pay standard statewide.”
Supports updating school funding formula costs annually in law.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 02 School funding · cameronkoffel.com
“Update the cost inputs, annually, in statute.”
Proposes warrants for searching historical license plate reader data.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 05 Surveillance: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“Warrant requirement for querying historical ALPR data”
Supports repealing the automatic Medicaid expansion termination trigger.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 06 Healthcare floor: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“Repeal the automatic termination trigger.”
Proposes requiring naloxone in every public school building.
Where I Stand — Cameron Koffel for Ohio House District 7
Campaign website · Koffel for Ohio · 07 Narcan in schools: What I'll do · cameronkoffel.com
“Require naloxone in every Ohio public school building”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.