Matt Huffman
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio
Ohio Republican Senate nominee?
$92.0K
MAY 6, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Live Odds — Ohio Republican Senate nominee?
Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.
1%chance to win
$92.0KMAY 6, 2026Candidate Overview
Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.
Current roleState Representative
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age66 years old (Apr 1, 1960)
GenderMale
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LocationOhio
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Notre Dame
Notable personal detailsMatthew C. Huffman is an American attorney and Republican politician from Lima, Ohio. He serves in the Ohio House of Representatives (78th District) and was unanimously elected Speaker of the Ohio House for the 136th General Assembly after serving as President of the Ohio Senate. He previously served on the Lima City Council and served in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly over multiple terms.
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Political Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports lowering income taxes (including moving to a flat tax and phased rate reductions), property tax relief, reducing regulatory burdens, and other tax cuts paid for by spending reductions. Has sponsored and promoted budgets and proposals that prioritize income-tax cuts and reduced government spending.
Healthcare
Matt Huffman has supported tightening Medicaid eligibility and imposing work requirements for certain Medicaid recipients, and has expressed opposition to broad public-health shutdowns. His public materials emphasize reducing government costs and increasing efficiency rather than expanding government-run universal coverage.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate views immigration enforcement as primarily a federal responsibility and has said states should not interfere with federal enforcement. He has not pushed for rapid state-level immigration changes and has indicated the legislature will review immigration bills through committee rather than fast-tracking them.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports restricting abortion access while allowing some exceptions; he has signaled pursuing further limits after Ohio’s 2023 reproductive-rights amendment and discussed proposals such as a 15-week limit with exceptions for rape and incest. He has described ongoing legislative efforts to limit abortion and suggested voters who oppose the amendment may pursue future ballot measures or statutory restrictions.
Climate & Energy
Supports expanding in-state energy production and reliability with an emphasis on fossil fuels and market-driven solutions, has backed measures that make it more difficult for some wind and solar projects to proceed, and has promoted nuclear and natural gas as part of Ohio’s energy mix.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports policies that expand lawful firearm possession and strengthen protections for armed citizens while promoting arming/training of school personnel as a school safety measure. Emphasizes Second Amendment rights and favors policies focused on law enforcement and defensive use rather than new restrictive regulations.
Latest News
Matt Huffman is in the news because Ohio is shaping up to be a major battleground in the 2026 elections, with Democrats becoming more competitive in the governor and Senate races. Ohio’s primary candidates have also been confirmed, setting the stage for the May 2026 primary. More broadly, the state is being watched as part of a larger wave of spending and strategy around key 2026 races, including attorney general contests.
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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