State Sen. Bill DeMora, a Democrat, is seeking reelection to Ohio Senate District 25 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The district includes Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights, Clintonville, the Hilltop and other central Ohio communities.

Asked why he is running, DeMora said in our candidate questionnaire: "To continue the advocacy for the citizens of the 25th District as I've done for the past 4 years. To continue fighting for the average Ohioan against the big money special interests. Both of my parents were public school teachers, and they instilled in me the duty to serve and help others."

Candidate information

Party: Democrat

Education: "BA from THE Ohio State University, with Honors, majoring in Political Science, History and Economics."

Family:

"Single, never married, no children >Both parents deceased >One brother living in Los Angeles >Two nephews, one niece"

Experience and public service

Previous and current offices:

"State Senator 2021-Present >State and County Central and Executive Committees 1998-Present". DeMora was elected in 2022.

Occupation and work history:

"Current Ohio State Senator >Political consultant/campaign manager for numerous candidates and issues 2003-current >Former Executive Director, Secretary, Parliamentarian and consultant to/for the Ohio Democratic Party >Former Columbus City Council Aide"

DeMora said he was born in Euclid, Ohio, and earned his high school diploma from Euclid High School, according to his Ohio Senate biography.

On the issues

Property taxes and school vouchers

Asked about rising property taxes and school funding, DeMora said in our questionnaire: "I OPPOSE private school vouchers! I believe we need to fully fund our public schools, and by doing so, their need to implement levies, which is what directly determines property taxes, would be greatly diminished. We also need to increase funding to the Local Government Fund and the Library Fund, and by doing so, libraries, MRDD, ADAMH, Zoo, Police and Fire and other levies wouldn't be as needed, so they wouldn't have to ask the voters to raise their property taxes."

He added: "Instead of the $2.6 billion given for vouchers, and the $1.6 billion used to give an income tax break to the wealthiest of Ohioans, coupled with the $725 million we just gave for a gimmicky gas tax holiday could be used to fund all of the above."

Data centers and electric bills

Asked whether the state should keep offering tax incentives for data centers, DeMora said: "First off, large users of electric power MUST be forced into paying for all the infrastructure needed to bring them online. … Next, we should be making data centers pay US, not the other way around by giving them tax break incentives. The data centers are going to come to Ohio because of our water resources, educated workforce, labor resources and work ethic. It's time to make these trillion dollar companies put money back into helping everyday Ohioans."

Ranked-choice voting and voter ID

DeMora said he opposes Issue 3, the constitutional amendment on the November ballot: "I do NOT support the constitutional amendment, Issue 3, on the ballot in November and am the author of the arguments AGAINST it. There is no reason to limit Ohioans to four forms of stated ID's, when there has NEVER been widespread voter fraud, as the sponsors claim."

On ranked-choice voting, he said: "I don't believe RCV works and the costs to implement it, from new voting machines in half the counties … to the education of the public to conduct it is just too much."

Candidate responses were collected through a Surround Sound News questionnaire and are presented in the candidate's own words.