Person
Craig Riedel
- Work
- Design engineer and sales manager, Nucor Vulcraft Group (a steel company), until retiring in 2015.
Sources: ballotpedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, Ohio State University, 1988.
Source: ballotpedia.org
Ballotpedia · Official site · Ohio campaign finance
- $254KRaised, as filed · June 11, 2026
- $18KCash on hand · June 11, 2026
- no poll on fileLatest poll
- 7Positions in their words · 7 issues
- none on fileClaims checked
- 1Offices held · Former Member, Ohio House of Representatives, District 82, 2017–2022
7 of 11 sections researched
Not yet researched: What they have said, checked, Record in office, Financial interests, Polling and approval.
What has been checked
- Profile 6 entries
- On the ballot 1 entry
- Where they stand 7 entries He has not completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in any cycle and Ballotpedia recorded no 2026 campaign-website text for him, so all seven positions are quoted from his campaign website's Issues page, fetched September 21, 2026.
- What they have said, checked None found in the records checked PolitiFact and FactCheck.org searched 2026-09-25: none found Checked: Research lane claims-2026, 2026-09-25
- Record in office Not yet researched He served in the Ohio House of Representatives from January 2017 to December 2022, entirely before the 135th General Assembly (2023-2024) that this project's sponsored-legislation rule covers, so he has no record entries here.
- Money 1 entry Calendar-2026 contributions and expenditures, and cash on hand on the most recent report (filed 2026-06-11), as filed with the Ohio Secretary of State. Reports filed after that are not included. Checked: Ohio Secretary of State candidate cover-page export, 2026 reports
- Financial interests Not yet researched
- Polling and approval None found in the records checked Ballotpedia records no poll for this race as of September 21, 2026. Checked: Ballotpedia's polling section for this race
- Elections 1 entry Added by the district guide's money and prior-results steps.
- Endorsements 4 entries
- Sources 6 entries
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | none found |
| record | not researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | not researched |
| polling | none found |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | researched |
| sources | researched |
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Chamber | District | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Senate | Ohio Senate, Ohio's 1st District | Ohio State Senator, District 1 |
On the ballot
- Ohio State Senator, District 1 · November 3, 2026 · Republican
Source: Ohio elections, 2026
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Date | Deadline | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 18, 2026 | Military and overseas absentee voting begins | The start of absentee voting for military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters. | |
| October 5, 2026 | Voter registration deadline | 9 p.m. | Boards of elections and the Ohio Secretary of State's office are open until 9 p.m. to accept registrations. |
| October 6, 2026 | Absentee voting by mail and early in-person voting begin | Early in-person voting runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October 6 through October 9; hours change on later dates through Election Day. | |
| October 22, 2026 | Pre-general campaign finance reports due | 4 p.m. | Certain candidates, political action committees, caucus committees and political parties file by 4 p.m. reports covering contributions and expenditures through October 14, 2026. |
| October 27, 2026 | Deadline for boards to receive absentee ballot applications | 8:30 p.m. | Applications for an absentee ballot must reach the county board by this time. |
| November 1, 2026 | Last day of early in-person voting | 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. | Early in-person voting at county boards of elections ends on Sunday, November 1; the hours that day are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the table above. By October 29, nearly 1.3 million Ohioans had already voted early in person or returned absentee ballots (Journal-News; Signal Ohio's counts from the Secretary of State's daily absentee file add to 1,289,090). The 2022 midterm saw 1.47 million early votes, then a record. |
| November 2, 2026 | No early in-person voting at boards of elections | Early in-person voting at county boards of elections ended Sunday, November 1; there is no voting at boards of elections on Monday, November 2. Voters cast ballots at their assigned polling places on Tuesday, November 3. | |
| November 3, 2026 | Deadline for non-military/overseas absentee ballots to be received | 7:30 p.m. | Absentee ballots not covered by UOCAVA must be received by this time on Election Day. |
| November 3, 2026 | Last-minute absentee request for a hospitalization emergency | 3 p.m. | A voter, or a voter's minor child, who is hospitalized because of an accident or medical emergency may apply for an absentee ballot until 3 p.m. on Election Day. |
| November 3, 2026 | Polls open | 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Election Day voting hours statewide. |
| November 7, 2026 | Deadline for military and overseas (UOCAVA) absentee ballots to be received | The extended receipt deadline for UOCAVA absentee ballots. | |
| November 8, 2026 | Boards of elections may begin the official canvass | County boards may begin the official canvass of the November 3 General Election ballots (5 days after the election). | |
| November 18, 2026 | Deadline for boards to begin the official canvass | County boards must begin the official canvass of November 3 General Election ballots no later than this date (15 days after the election). | |
| November 24, 2026 | Deadline for boards to complete the official canvass | County boards must complete the canvass of November 3 General Election ballots no later than this date (21 days after the election). | |
| December 11, 2026 | Post-general campaign finance reports due | 4 p.m. | Certain candidates, political action committees, caucus committees and political parties file by 4 p.m. reports covering contributions and expenditures through December 4, 2026. |
Where they stand
Abortion
One of Craig’s proudest moments as a legislator came when he cast his vote to support Ohio’s Heartbeat Bill.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
Guns
Craig is a fierce defender of the Second Amendment and understands that the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to our individual freedom.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
Jobs and the economy
As someone who has spent 27 years as a civil engineer in the steel industry, Craig knows firsthand how job creation and economic expansion can positively impact Ohio.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
Property taxes
Craig also understands the profound impact that property taxes have on the quality of life for many Ohioans. He will fight to stop large spikes in property taxes and advocate for substantive relief for homeowners.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
Public safety
Craig believes law enforcement is essential to protecting our communities and strongly supports our police officers.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
School choice
Craig realizes the importance of school choice, which allows parents to choose the best educational option for their children. He believes that all children deserve access to a high-quality education, regardless of their background or zip code.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
Taxes
Craig Riedel is the only candidate for Ohio’s 1st Senate District that has never and will never vote to raise your taxes.
Source: craigriedelforohio.com
What they have said, checked
None found in the records checked
Record in office
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Person | Date | Kind | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riedel (R) | 2017-01-01 | office | Member, Ohio House of Representatives, District 82 |
Recorded votes
Craig Riedel cast 1,073 Yea or Nay votes on the roll calls we hold, across 3 terms from 2017 to 2022, all in the Ohio General Assembly, from the Ohio Legislature. Each term opens to every roll call, with the question, the result, how Craig Riedel voted and how the majority of their party voted.
| Term | Chamber | Yea | Nay | Did not vote | With party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 134th General Assembly, 2021–2022 | Ohio House, district 82 | 388 | 10 | not recorded | 100% of 86 |
| 133rd General Assembly, 2019–2020 | Ohio House, district 82 | 277 | 19 | not recorded | 92% of 37 |
| 132nd General Assembly, 2017–2018 | Ohio House, district 82 | 368 | 11 | not recorded | 95% of 44 |
"With party" counts only roll calls on which most Republicans and most Democrats voted opposite ways. The Ohio Legislature records who voted Yea and who voted Nay and no one else, so an absence cannot be told from an abstention and neither is counted; only floor votes are listed.
Source: Legislation and votes
Money
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| From | To | Dollars | Share of total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raised | Spent | 245,911.37 | 42.8% | |
| Other funds (derived) | Spent | 310,916.31 | 54.1% | |
| Raised | Cash on hand | 7,954.30 | 1.4% | |
| Other funds (derived) | Cash on hand | 10,056.97 | 1.7% |
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
| Race | Filer | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State Senator, District 1 | OhioSOS Friends of Craig Riedel | $253,866 | $556,828 | $18,011 | June 11, 2026 |
Ohio campaigns were due to file pre-general reports on October 22, covering activity through October 14, 2026. They are not in these figures, which come from the latest report in our records, dated June 11, 2026.
Sources: Campaign Finance Data · Campaign Finance: Cover Page search · Campaign Finance
Outside spending
Financial interests
Not yet researched
Polling and approval
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Elections
| Race | Party | Result | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State Senator, District 1 (2026) | Republican | Pending |
Offices held
Member, Ohio House of Representatives, District 82 · 2017-01-01 to 2022-12-31 · elected
Source: ballotpedia.org
Endorsements
Endorsements received
partyOhio Republican Party
September 2026
Listed on the party's 2026 general-election slate card for Defiance County; the card is titled a slate card and does not use the word endorsed.
Source: ohiogop.org
organizationOhio Right to Life PAC
August 10, 2026
Named in the PAC's 2026 general-election list, which it calls candidate recommendations; its page headed 2026 primary endorsements also listed this candidate, shared with Jim Hoops.
Sources: ohiolife.org · ohiolife.org
organizationOhio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (OCCPAC)
July 10, 2026
Named in the PAC's July 10, 2026 release of general-election legislative endorsements, which lists 13 Ohio Senate candidates.
organizationNRA-PVF
2026
Listed in the organization's 2026 Ohio Senate endorsements, District 1.
Source: nrapvf.org
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Riedel
Every URL on this page, once each.
- Ohio elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19 · CC BY-SA 3.0 or later, per Ballotpedia's terms
- Craig Riedel · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-21 · CC BY-SA 3.0 or later, per Ballotpedia's terms
- On the Issues — Craig Riedel for State Senate · Friends of Craig Riedel · accessed 2026-09-21
- Campaign Finance Data · Ohio Secretary of State · accessed 2026-09-19
- Campaign Finance: Cover Page search · Ohio Secretary of State · accessed 2026-09-19
- Campaign Finance · Ohio Secretary of State · accessed 2026-09-19
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Riedel
- https://ohio-chamber-object-storage-m0uzx.sevalla.storage/uploads/2026/July/13/FOR%20IMMEDIATE%20RELEASE.pdf
- https://ohiolife.org/ohio-right-to-life-pac-announces-2026-general-election-candidate-recommendations/
- https://ohiolife.org/2026-ortl-pac-recommendations/
- https://ohiogop.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/defiance-county-slate-card.pdf
- https://www.nrapvf.org/grades/ohio/
- Official site
- Ohio campaign finance
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Craig Riedel", https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/craig-riedel/, built 2026-11-04, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-11-04