Blackwell seeks Ohio auditor seat on fiscal turnaround record

Maple Heights Mayor Annette M. Blackwell is running for Ohio auditor as a Democrat in the 2026 general election. She faces Republican Frank LaRose.

Blackwell, who has served as mayor since 2016, said on her campaign website that she wants to "tackle this corruption and safeguard our tax dollars by holding bad actors accountable."

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: Ohio Auditor
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Residence: Maple Heights, Ohio
Education: High school diploma, St. Joseph High School (1980); bachelor's degree in public relations and corporate communications, Ursuline College (2016)
Campaign website: blackwellforohio.com

Blackwell moved to Ohio from Selma, Alabama, at age 2, according to the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association. Upon graduating from Ursuline College, she received the Sister Diana Stano, OSU, PhD, Award for Excellence in Academics, Leadership and Service, according to Ursuline College.

Experience and public service

Blackwell was sworn in as Maple Heights' 16th mayor in January 2016, the first female and first African American to hold the office in the city's 100-year history, according to the city of Maple Heights. She also serves as the city's director of safety. She is in her third elected term as mayor, according to the city's website.

Before entering public office, Blackwell worked as an administrative coordinator at University Hospitals of Cleveland from 1987 to 1999, according to BallotReady. She then worked as a property tax associate II at Deloitte from 1999 to 2007. She was a senior property tax associate at Thomson Reuters from 2007 to 2012 and a lead analyst at Ryan LLC Property Tax from 2013 to 2015. She also worked in installment lending at KeyBank, formerly Ameritrust, according to Ursuline College.

On the issues

Government and fiscal management: Blackwell said on her campaign website that when she took office as mayor, Maple Heights was in fiscal emergency and on the state's fiscal watch list. She said she led the city's turnaround by writing its five-year turnaround plan. The city received Clean Audit Awards from the state auditor's office every year from 2021 to 2023, according to both the candidate's campaign and the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association, a party-affiliated organization. Blackwell said she also plans to partner with communities across Ohio so they can provide safe, affordable places for working families.