Who is running for Ohio House, District 28 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Ohio House, District 28 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Ohio House District 28.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Karen BrownleeDemocrat | Jill ColeRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | Raise it to around $15Official action · medium | No public position |
| Business regulation | No public position | Cut red tape, but keep core safety and environmental rulesSaid · low |
| Healthcare | Keep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenOfficial action · low | No public position |
| Abortion | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Official action · low | No public position |
| Guns | Add universal background checks and red-flag lawsOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| School choice | No public position | Yes, universal school choice for every familySaid · medium |
| Curriculum and books | No public position | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toSaid · low |
| Policing and crime | Fund police and add reforms like body cameras and use-of-force limitsOfficial action · low | More police, with a focus on repeat offendersSaid · low |
| Election rules | Easier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyoneOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| Gender care for minors | Leave it to parents and doctorsOfficial action · medium | No public position |
| Campaign finance | Keep spending legal but require groups to disclose their large donorsOfficial action · low | No public position |
| Transgender athletes | Yes, they should play on the teams that match their gender identityOfficial action · medium | No public position |
Karen Brownlee
Democrat · IncumbentState Representative, District 28
Karen Brownlee is a Democrat who has represented House District 28 since January 2025 after winning 55.9 percent of the vote in 20241. She is a licensed independent social worker who worked as a clinical social worker and trainer in community mental health in Cincinnati, with a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's in social work from Northern Kentucky University2. She lives in Symmes Township2.
Where they stand 13 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Gender care for minorsLeave it to parents and doctorsmedium
Official action · medium confidence- Joint primary sponsor of House Bill 327, the P.R.I.D.E. Act, which would repeal the ban on gender transition treatments for minors and is framed as protecting parents' rights to medical and behavioral health care for their children. (2025) source
Transgender athletesYes, they should play on the teams that match their gender identitymedium
Official action · medium confidence- Joint primary sponsor of House Bill 327, which would repeal the sections of House Bill 68 requiring school and college sports teams to be designated by sex. (2025) source
GunsAdd universal background checks and red-flag lawsmedium
Official action · medium confidence- Primary sponsor of House Bill 351 to establish the Ohio Task Force on Gun Violence and House Bill 872 on gun violence and violent crime. (2025) source
- Cosponsor of House Bill 348 to restore a concealed handgun licensee's duty to carry the license and notify police. (2025) source
- As a co-chair of the Ohio Gun Violence Prevention Caucus, said preventable violence continues because the supermajority ignores the firearm epidemic, and called for gun violence prevention legislation. (2026-06-08) source
Election rulesEasier access: automatic registration and mail voting for anyonemedium
Official action · medium confidence- Cosponsor of House Bill 470 to create an automatic voter registration system. (2025) source
- Cosponsor of House Bill 400 to create a permanent absent voter list. (2025) source
- Cosponsor of House Bill 761 to allow an absent voter's ballot to be returned to any county polling place. (2025) source
- Voted no on Senate Joint Resolution 10, which puts a photo ID requirement for voting into the Ohio Constitution (62 to 30). (2026-06-10) source
Minimum wageRaise it to around $15medium
Official action · medium confidence- Cosponsor of House Bill 34 to raise Ohio's minimum wage in steps to 15 dollars an hour by 2030, then adjust it for inflation. (2025) source
HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenlow
Official action · low confidence- Her official biography says she introduced a bill incorporating the Affordable Care Act into Ohio law; she is joint primary sponsor of House Bill 438, the FAMILY Act, on health insurance premiums and benefits. (2025) source
- Primary sponsor of House Bill 780, the Medicaid Savings Act, to move Medicaid administration away from managed care organizations to cut administrative waste. (2026-05-22) source
- Cosponsor of House Bill 289, which would create the Ohio Health Care Plan, a state single-payer plan giving universal coverage to all Ohio residents. (2025) source
Campaign financeKeep spending legal but require groups to disclose their large donorslow
Official action · low confidence- Cosponsor of House Bill 250, the Ohio Anti-Corruption Act, which expands disclosure of independent expenditures and electioneering communications. (2025) source
Policing and crimeFund police and add reforms like body cameras and use-of-force limitslow
Official action · low confidence- Joint primary sponsor of House Bill 691, the Community and Police Protection Act, to regulate law enforcement officers' use of masks. (2026) source
AbortionLegal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)low
Official action · low confidence- Cosponsor of House Bill 128, the Reproductive Care Act, which rewrites Ohio's abortion laws and adds reproductive health protections. (2025) source
- Voted no on House Bill 347, which requires a physician meeting and written informed consent at least 24 hours before an elective abortion (64 to 32). (2026-03-25) source
DEI programsNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted no on Senate Bill 1, which bars state universities from operating diversity, equity and inclusion offices, required DEI training and DEI-based scholarships (59 to 34). (2025-03-19) source
Mandatory minimumsNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted no on House Bill 88, which modifies penalties for drug trafficking and possession and adds fentanyl awareness instruction in schools (71 to 18). (2025-11-19) source
MarijuanaNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted no on the House version of Senate Bill 56, which revised the adult-use marijuana law that voters approved in 2023 (52 to 34). (2025-11-19) source
Ranked-choice votingNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted no on Senate Bill 63, which generally prohibits the use of ranked choice voting in Ohio elections (House vote, 65 to 27). (2026-02-25) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Business regulation, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Redistricting, Term limits, Electoral College, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, China policy.
Jill Cole
RepublicanMayor of Blue Ash
Jill Cole is a Republican who has been mayor of Blue Ash since December 1, 2023, after joining city council by appointment in 2020 and winning election in 2021 and 20231. She co-founded Cole Realty Associates in 2006, owns the Galbraith Business Center, is a U.S. Army veteran, and holds a business degree from Ohio State University1. She is challenging Rep. Karen Brownlee in House District 282.
Where they stand 4 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Said · medium confidence- Her priorities page says she supports expanding educational opportunities for parents through vouchers and charter schools. (2026) source
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tolow
Said · low confidence- Her priorities page says parents have a right to know what is being taught, supports a renewed focus on core subjects, and calls for a partnership between families and schools. (2026) source
Policing and crimeMore police, with a focus on repeat offenderslow
Said · low confidence- Her priorities page backs investments in public safety and law enforcement training and a justice system that holds offenders accountable. (2026) source
Business regulationCut red tape, but keep core safety and environmental ruleslow
Said · low confidence- Her priorities page says government should get out of the way and help entrepreneurs succeed, and supports cutting personal income taxes and eliminating wasteful spending. (2026) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, Housing and growth, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.