Don Leonard, a Democrat, is running to represent Dublin and surrounding communities in Ohio's 15th Congressional District in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

The district covers parts of central and southern Ohio. The winner will serve in Congress, voting on federal taxes, spending and policy that affect the district's residents.

Leonard faces Republican Mike Carey, Libertarian Brennan Barrington and Samuel Ronan, who has no party preference.

On his campaign Facebook page, Leonard describes himself as a "Medicaid Kid. Educator. Husband. Father. Do Something Democrat running to represent Ohio's 15th Congressional District."

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, University of Massachusetts Lowell (2002); master's degree in economic and social development, University of Massachusetts Lowell (2003); doctorate in government, Cornell University (2013)

Experience and public service

Leonard has worked at The Ohio State University since 2016. He teaches city and regional planning as a clinical professor, according to BallotReady profile data.

Before joining Ohio State, he was a research fellow at Tulane University's Center for Inter-American Policy and Research from 2014 to 2016. He held a Niehaus Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University from 2013 to 2014.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Leonard's campaign website and his BallotReady candidate responses. Each reflects the candidate's own stated views.

Healthcare: Leonard said all Americans deserve quality insurance they can afford to use.

Housing: Leonard said every working American should be able to afford to own a home.

Childcare: Leonard said great care for children should not cost a second mortgage.

Aging: Leonard said supporting family caregivers means more freedom for retirees.

Endorsements

The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsing organizations, according to BallotReady profile data:

  • Ohio Organizing Campaign
  • AFSCME

This profile is based on publicly available information, candidate responses and BallotReady data. It does not constitute an endorsement.