Catching Our Eye News Roundup, Oct. 19, 2026

Every morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio and around the country and world that is catching our attention. We call this feature Catching Our Eye, republished here.

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Catching Our Eye

• The overtly partisan Ohio Supreme Court. The Columbus Dispatch’s Laura A. Bischoff reports, “Democrat Jennifer Brunner loses federal lawsuit over partisan election labels.”

With less than three weeks left before Election Day, a federal court upheld a state law requiring partisan labels for candidates running for appellate and supreme court seats in Ohio.

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner, the only Democrat currently holding statewide elected office, filed a lawsuit over the law, saying it violated her First and Fifth Amendment rights. She argued that forcing candidates to carry a party label conflicts with judicial ethics rules.

In July 2021, Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law a measure requiring party labels in general elections for some judges. Since then, Democrats have lost every race for Ohio Supreme Court.

• Jim Jordan’s plans. CNN reports, “House Republicans face a potential clash over who will be GOP leader if they lose the midterms.”

When House Speaker Mike Johnson decided in September to send lawmakers home early to their districts ahead of the midterm elections, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan quietly made clear that he would have handled the situation differently, according to a source close to Jordan.

In a private conversation with one Republican lawmaker, Jordan said he would have kept lawmakers in Washington longer to hold more votes that would be politically challenging for Democrats. He also expressed interest in holding more votes on President Donald Trump’s elections overhaul bill that has been blocked in the Republican-led Senate, arguing that would help House Republicans on the campaign trail even if the bill won’t be signed into law.

• Bernie Moreno’s plans. Bloomberg reports, “Senator Expects ‘Last Supper’ Budget Bill if GOP Loses Power.”

Sen. Bernie Moreno wants senators to stay in session from the election through the end of the year without a break to pass a party-line budget bill with all their priorities if Republicans lose in the midterms next month.

• Ohio Womens’ Monument. The Toledo Blade’s Danny Eldredge reports, “State leaders unveil Ohio Women’s Monument.”

A new landmark honoring generations of women who fought for suffrage and equality is now established on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse.

The Ohio Women’s Monument was unveiled Wednesday after more than six years of work by the Ohio Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, Capitol Square Foundation, Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, and Ohio Arts Council.