Veteran state lawmaker Kristina Roegner launches 2026 bid for Ohio treasurer

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican Ohio Sen. Kristina Roegner, a veteran state lawmaker with fiscal oversight experience and a background in finance, announced Thursday that she is running for state treasurer.

Roegner, 56, of Hudson in northeast Ohio, is just finishing up 14 years in the Ohio Legislature — four terms in the Ohio House and two terms in the Ohio Senate — where she said she has focused on the state's regulatory and occupational licensure systems, financial matters, tax cuts and government efficiency.

She also presided this week over hearings on a Senate bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Ohio's public colleges and universities, which Republican senators said aims to protect conservative speech but that opponents called an impediment to academic freedom.

Roegner said she is prepared to be a trusted steward of the Ohio treasury, invest the state's tax revenue wisely and innovate to improve people's lives.

''That's who I am and that is what I'll do," she said in a statement announcing her 2026 bid. "The money in the State Treasury belongs to the taxpayer, so I promise to apply the highest level of professionalism, integrity and full transparency as your next state treasurer.''

Roegner's private sector experience has included working as a mechanical engineer at Westinghouse Power Generation and as an associate and client engagement manager at the consulting giant McKinsey & Co. She holds an MBA in finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

Her announcement came a day after former Republican state Sen. Niraj Antani announced his was suspending his 2026 campaign for Ohio secretary of state to run for state treasurer.

Antani, 33, of Miamisburg in the Dayton area, on Wednesday cited the ''new dynamic'' injected into the contest last week when Ohio's sitting statewide officeholders finally settled into their lanes.

Treasurer Robert Sprague dropped a gubernatorial bid to run for secretary of state and Secretary of State Frank LaRose launched a campaign for state auditor. Both have said they will endorse Trump insider Vivek Ramaswamy for governor should he seek the seat, as is expected.

Antani said that he was disappointed but ''not deterred'' when the jockeying created a head-to-head with Sprague. He will just seek a different office.

''My team and I have taken the last week to evaluate this new dynamic, and unfortunately we see no path forward to victory with Treasurer Sprague in the race,'' Antani said in a statement. ''While I am disappointed, I am not deterred. For the last decade, I've fought against the entrenched establishment who seek to protect the status quo. I will continue that fight.''

The positioning has been prompted by all five of Ohio's statewide executive office coming open next year due to term limits.

Antani was first elected to the Ohio House in 2014, the first Indian-American and Hindu to serve in the chamber. He served six years there and a single four-year term in the Ohio Senate before seeing his district redrawn by fellow Republicans to favor Democrats.

Antani opted not to seek re-election, but ran instead for southern Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. He finished 10th of 11 primary candidates, with 1.7% of the vote, to Republican and now-U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor.