David Pepper, a Democrat and fifth-generation Cincinnatian, is running for Ohio lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Robert McColley and Libertarian James L. Mills, according to BallotReady election data.

Pepper is a former Hamilton County commissioner who also served on Cincinnati City Council. His campaign website highlights priorities including reducing healthcare costs, restoring public school funding and increasing government transparency.

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Ohio lieutenant governor
  • Party: Democratic
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
  • Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio (fifth-generation Cincinnatian)
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in history, Yale University, 1993; juris doctor, Yale University, 1999
  • Current role: Adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati (2012–present), according to BallotReady profile data
  • Other candidates: Robert McColley (Republican), James L. Mills (Libertarian)

Experience and public service

Pepper clerked for Judge Nathaniel Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1999, according to a Democrats Abroad profile. He then practiced law at Squire Sanders & Dempsey starting in 2000 and later at Blank Rome LLP from 2011 to 2014, according to BallotReady.

He served on Cincinnati City Council from 2001 to 2005 and as a Hamilton County commissioner from 2007 to 2010, including a term as commission president starting in 2009, according to the Democrats Abroad profile. He chaired the Ohio Democratic Party from 2015 to 2021, according to the Leadership Now Project.

Pepper ran as the Democratic candidate for Ohio auditor of state in 2010 and for Ohio attorney general in 2014, according to the Democrats Abroad profile. He is also a senior fellow at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and the author of two books on democracy, according to his Compact25 speaker profile.

On the issues

The following positions come from Pepper's campaign website responses via BallotReady. All statements are the candidate's own claims.

Healthcare and affordability: Pepper said he would fight to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, noting more than three million Ohioans are on Medicaid. He said he would oppose cuts to Medicaid "whether they're coming from Columbus or Congress." He also said he would work to reduce costs for housing, energy, child care, drug prices and property taxes.

Education: Pepper said he would restore public school funding to a constitutional level and seek control of what he called an "opaque private school voucher system with runaway costs." He said he would redirect savings toward students, teachers and proven practices.

Public safety: Pepper said he would work to improve school safety, emergency relief, road safety and criminal justice transparency.

Workers' rights: Pepper said he would stand up for workers' rights and union rights.

Government reform: Pepper said he would push for greater transparency, more disclosure, campaign finance reform and open bidding and contracting processes.

Endorsements

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

  • AFL-CIO
  • Hamilton County Democratic Party
  • Wood County Democratic Party
  • Delaware County Democrats

Editor's note: Pepper has not returned the Anderson-Mariemont Journal's candidate questionnaire. This profile is based on publicly available information and the candidate's published campaign positions.