Who's In the Race

Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) faces Democrat Brian Alan Shaver and Libertarian Michael J. Veloff in Ohio's 5th Congressional District. Latta has held the seat since 2007 and serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Energy. Shaver is president of Fostoria City Council and a social studies teacher at Fostoria Junior/Senior High School. Veloff, from Galion, previously worked in his family's hearing-aid business and in cryptocurrency. ​

At a Sept. 17 town hall in Bowling Green, Shaver criticized Latta for not meeting constituents and said he had asked Latta to debate but had not heard back, according to BG Independent News.

What They Stand For

Bob Latta has supported expanding domestic energy production and strengthening the electric grid, listing grid security legislation among his energy priorities on his official House website. He has said affordability is a top concern and favors lower interest rates for farmers and home buyers, as well as permitting reform to reduce electricity costs. He has also proposed protecting existing electricity customers from data-center-related rate increases, saying, "We want to make sure that existing ratepayers do not pay the costs of a data center," according to cleveland.com. He has said he is working to lower prescription drug prices and improve healthcare access, and he has credited the Trump administration with securing the border.

Brian Alan Shaver, according to his campaign website, has proposed making life more affordable by supporting farmers and affordable rural housing, lowering medication costs, and ending tax loopholes for the wealthiest, saying "people deserve an economy that works for them — not just for those at the top." He has supported adequately funding schools, backing teachers rather than micromanaging classrooms, and expanding higher-education and workforce-development opportunities. He has also supported gun rights alongside background checks, safe-storage expectations, and "common-sense safeguards," and has called for healthcare decisions to be made between patients and physicians, with lower prescription and insurance costs. He has said Congress should enforce constitutional limits and checks and balances, including challenging executive actions that resemble lawmaking.

Veloff, according to cleveland.com, has supported bail reform for nonviolent offenses, favored keeping Medicare intact while shifting private-insurance subsidies to state- and locally administered pools, and called for more accountability and training for ICE agents alongside an expanded temporary worker visa program.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Republican as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Republican as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Republican as of Oct. 2. Kalshi traders gave Republicans, whose nominee is Latta, a 91.6 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 12, while Democrats, whose nominee is Shaver, stood at 8.4 percent.

Latta carried the district with about 67 percent of the vote in both 2024 and 2022. Republicans won 10 of Ohio's 15 U.S. House seats in both 2022 and 2024. Donald Trump carried Ohio in the 2024 presidential election with about 55 percent of the vote.

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