A Fox News poll released in early June surveyed 1,015 Ohio registered voters and found Democrat Sherrod Brown leading appointed incumbent Jon Husted 53% to 45%, with a margin of error of ±3 points. Aggregated polling since then has shown even tighter margins, with leads flipping by two to four points depending on the survey. Ohio’s 2026 election cycle is competitive, and the most prominent statewide race may include the U.S. Senate contest. For ABC Ohio Valley members, the next several weeks offer a direct chance to meet the candidates whose decisions will shape workforce policy, regulatory costs, and infrastructure investment across the construction industry.

Why This Election Window Matters for Ohio Valley Merit Shop Contractors

The polling numbers are not a prediction. They are a snapshot confirming that neither side of Ohio’s Senate race has a comfortable lead. In elections decided by two to four points, grassroots contact and early voter engagement shift outcomes. Canvassing is a common and effective way for political candidates to connect with voters, and that same principle works in reverse: contractors who engage with candidates early build the relationships that outlast any single election cycle.

Workforce development initiatives support construction industry growth, and the policies governing apprenticeship funding, employer-led training programs like TechCred, and skilled-trades pipelines are set or constrained by the people who win these races. Election officials have more ways to communicate with voters than ever before, but the construction industry’s concerns only reach candidates when contractors show up.

The stakes extend beyond the workforce. Regulatory cost exposure for merit shop contractors, including permit timelines, prevailing wage mandates, and project labor agreement requirements, is shaped by federal and state elected officials. Infrastructure investment priorities for roads, bridges, broadband, water systems, and public facilities in Southwest and West Central Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana depend on which senators sit on appropriations committees and which governors set capital budgets. These are not abstract policy questions. They determine which projects get funded, how long permitting takes, and whether open competition or mandated labor agreements govern bidding.

What Members Gain When They Meet the Candidates

ABC Ohio Valley offers professional development resources for construction professionals and provides networking opportunities for industry partners across the chapter’s territory. Meeting endorsed candidates adds a different kind of value: direct access to the people making decisions about the business environment contractors operate in every day.

Good campaign engagement emphasizes policies and records over personal attacks, and that is the kind of conversation merit shop contractors should seek. A 10-minute exchange about permit delays, apprenticeship funding, or workforce pipeline challenges gives a candidate a concrete reference point. That exchange becomes an asset when legislation is drafted, when regulations are proposed, or when staff needs input from employers who build in the Ohio Valley.

ABC Ohio Valley focuses on training for merit shop contractors through apprenticeships, safety programs, and professional development. Members gain access to training and educational programs that enhance productivity and profitability for their companies. Meeting candidates lets members connect those programs to the policy support they require. Safety education is a key component of construction safety programs, and construction safety programs help enhance workplace safety for contractors. When a candidate hears directly how safety training, workforce credentialing, or TOOLS program funding affects a contractor’s ability to win work, that input carries weight.

Comparing candidates directly in forums can help voters make decisions. Merit shop philosophy promotes workforce development and training, and members who attend these events can evaluate whether a candidate’s positions align with those priorities.

Example questions to consider:

• What is your plan to sustain or expand funding for employer-led apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs?
• Where do you stand on prevailing wage requirements and project labor agreements?
• What proposals do you have to reduce permitting timelines for construction projects?
• How will you prioritize infrastructure investments in the Ohio Valley?

Sen. Jon Husted: ABC Ohio Valley Meet the Candidates Events

ABC of Ohio has endorsed Sen. Jon Husted for U.S. Senate. The Husted campaign views the Ohio Senate contest as competitive, and the polling supports that assessment. ABC Ohio Valley members in Cincinnati and Dayton have three upcoming opportunities to engage directly with Husted over the next three weeks.

Westside Cincinnati Event

• Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
• Host Committee: 5:00 to 5:30 p.m.
• General Reception: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Venue: WHCC, 5780 Cleves Warsaw Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45233
• Hosts: Jennifer and Alex Triantafilou

Dayton Event

• Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026
• VIP Reception: 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.
• General Reception: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Venue: The Connor Group, 10510 Springboro Pike, Miamisburg, OH 45342
• Host: Larry Connor

Cafe Alma Event

• Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
• Time: 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
• Venue: Cafe Alma, 6111 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45213
• Hosts: Nina and Eddie Paul
• Special Guest: U.S. Senator Todd Young

Members interested in participating, joining a host committee, or supporting the campaign can learn more through Team Husted.

Other ABC-Supported Candidates and Ohio Valley Engagements

ABC Ohio Valley’s advocacy efforts extend beyond a single race. Candidate lineups vary extensively by state district and municipality, and the chapter supports candidates at the state and federal level who align with merit shop priorities.

State Representative Tim Barhorst

Rep. Barhorst’s annual fundraising event takes place Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Jim Prenger Party Barn on Lake Loramie. The special guest is former Ohio State basketball captain Tom Brandewie. Barhorst represents Ohio House District 85 and has been active on the capital budget, Medicaid oversight, and agriculture and insurance issues that affect business communities in the chapter’s northern territory.

Congressman Jim Jordan

ABC is supporting Rep. Jim Jordan, and members in the northern portion of the chapter’s geography can connect with him at an event on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Shelby Oaks Golf Course in Sidney. This event offers another point of contact for contractors focused on federal regulatory accountability, government spending, and policies affecting employers.

State Sen. Susan Manchester

Sen. Manchester is not a 2026 candidate. She was elected to Ohio Senate District 12 in 2024 and will not face voters again until 2028. ABC supported a fundraiser for her earlier this summer, and she remains an important existing ally for the chapter. Her committee assignments give her influence over prevailing wage, project labor agreements, apprenticeship and workforce development, energy and utility construction, and infrastructure investment, all issues that affect merit shop contractors in her district. Maintaining that relationship between election cycles is part of how advocacy works.

Key Questions Contractors Should Ask on Workforce Development, Regulation, Infrastructure

When members meet the candidates, the goal is to raise issues that affect how contractors operate, hire, bid, and build. Apprenticeship programs are essential for skilled labor in construction, and candidates should be asked how they plan to fund and protect employer-led training pipelines, including TOOLS and related programs.

Specific areas to probe:

• Prevailing wage and PLAs: Does the candidate support or oppose project labor agreement mandates on publicly funded projects? Under what circumstances?
• Permitting timelines: What concrete steps would the candidate take to reduce permitting and regulatory delays for construction?
• Regulatory cost reduction: How does the candidate plan to address the cumulative cost of environmental permits, inspections, tariffs, and compliance burdens that affect merit shop contractors?
• Infrastructure priorities: Which regional projects, including roads, bridges, broadband, and water systems, does the candidate expect to support in the Ohio Valley?
• Workforce pipeline funding: What resources does the candidate support for trade schools, on-the-job training, and pre-apprenticeship pathways?

Commercial construction quality impacts overall project profitability, and candidates who understand that connection are more likely to advocate for policies that protect competitive contracting.

Advocacy, Free Enterprise, and the Merit Shop Case for Engagement

ABC Ohio Valley engages politically because decisions about workforce policy, apprenticeships, taxes, regulation, infrastructure, energy, government contracting, and permitting affect construction businesses every day. Advocacy efforts aim to support merit-shop construction contractors and ensure their voice is part of the policymaking process.

Merit shop philosophy emphasizes open competition in construction. Merit shop contractors focus on skill and performance over union affiliation. The philosophy supports a free-market approach in the construction industry, where work is awarded through competitive bidding based on cost, quality, and capability rather than labor-organization requirements. Merit-shop construction contractors benefit from safety education initiatives, and merit-shop philosophy promotes high-quality construction practices. Quality standards ensure project excellence in commercial construction, and that excellence depends on a policy environment that rewards performance.

Professional development enhances productivity and profitability for members. Free enterprise and open competition are not abstractions for contractors who bid on public work. They determine whether a company can compete. Political engagement is how those conditions are protected.

Practical Prep: Verify Event Details Before You Attend

Campaign events can change. Before attending any of the listed events, members should take a few steps:

• Confirm the date and time with the host or campaign team. Schedules shift, and a quick verification avoids a wasted trip.
• Check registration and VIP requirements. Some events have host committee tiers with separate arrival times and ticket commitments.
• Plan travel and parking. Venues like WHCC, The Connor Group, and Cafe Alma each have different parking situations. Check in advance.
• Understand ticket or contribution expectations. Host committees often carry minimum commitments separate from general reception attendance.

Nonprofits must provide comparable opportunities to all candidates when participating in events, a standard ABC takes seriously. The August 17 Queen City Club event has already passed and should not be treated as an upcoming opportunity.

How to Turn a Meeting Into Ongoing Advocacy and Workforce Development

A single conversation at a reception is a starting point, not a finish line. Members who want that conversation to carry weight should follow up.

• Send a brief note to the candidate’s staff within a few days. Reference the specific issue you raised. Attach a one-page summary if you have data on workforce gaps, permitting delays, or project costs in your area.
• Report your meeting outcomes to ABC Ohio Valley government affairs. The chapter tracks member interactions to build its advocacy intelligence. Your input shapes what the chapter prioritizes in its legislative work. ABC Ohio Valley focuses on legislative updates for construction, and member reports are part of that process.
• Use the ABC Action App for advocacy to stay engaged between events. The app connects members to legislative alerts, elected-official contact tools, and ABC position statements.
• Invest in member engagement and leadership through the chapter’s professional development and leadership programs. Advocacy and professional growth reinforce each other.

Call to Action: Steps for ABC Ohio Valley Members

The next several weeks offer a concentrated window for members to engage with candidates who will shape Ohio’s construction policy environment. Here is what to do:

1. Review the event schedule. Three Husted events (August 28, September 3, September 8), the Barhorst fundraiser (August 25), and the Jordan event (October 8) span the chapter’s geography from Cincinnati to Sidney.
2. Register and attend at least one event. Members in the Cincinnati market, the Dayton and Miamisburg corridor, and the northern communities around Sidney and Lake Loramie each have an event within driving distance.
3. Prepare your questions. Focus on the issues that affect your company: workforce pipeline, regulatory costs, infrastructure priorities, and competitive bidding protections.
4. Follow up after every event. Connect with candidate staff, report to the chapter, and stay engaged through ABC Ohio Valley advocacy coverage.
5. Connect your advocacy to the next generation. The chapter’s workforce pipeline leadership work and chapter member resources are stronger when members advocate for the policies that sustain them.

Competitive elections remind us that advocacy requires participation. ABC Ohio Valley members can make their industry’s voice stronger by staying informed, building relationships with policymakers, and showing up when opportunities to engage arise. The events are scheduled. The races are close. The next step belongs to you.