Erica C. Crawley, a Democrat and the first Black woman elected to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, is running for re-election Nov. 3, 2026. She faces Republican Davide Cugini and Libertarian Eric Terford.

Franklin County's three-member Board of Commissioners oversees county operations, sets the budget and makes policy on services that touch Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights residents, including public health, human services, economic development and infrastructure.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Franklin County Commission
  • Hometown: Originally from Youngstown, Ohio
  • Education: High school diploma, Chaney High School; bachelor's degree in criminology, Cleveland State University (2008); master's degree in public administration, Walden University (2011); juris doctor, Capital University (2017)
  • Military service: United States Navy veteran; earned the Naval & Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal
  • Personal: First-generation college graduate; mother of twin girls

Experience and public service

Crawley has served as a Franklin County commissioner since 2021, according to her county biography. She is seeking a second term. She served as president of the Board of Commissioners in 2022. Before joining the commission, she served as a state representative starting in 2019.

In the Ohio House, Crawley sat on the House Finance Committee and the Armed Services & Veterans Affairs Committee. She also served on the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee. She was appointed to the Governor's Commission on Infant Mortality and the Commission on Minority Health. She is a founding member of Ohio's Black Maternal Health Caucus.

Before entering public office, Crawley worked as an advocacy coordinator at Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children from 2011 to 2013. She held law clerk positions at American Honda Motor Company's legal division in 2015 and at Eastman & Smith Ltd. from 2016 to 2018. She also worked at Cuyahoga County Job & Family Services, the YMCA Head Start/Early Head Start Program and the National Black Child Development Institute in Atlanta.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Crawley's responses to BallotReady questionnaires and her campaign website. They reflect the candidate's own statements.

Housing: Crawley said she is working to ensure everyone in the community can have an affordable place to live and reduce those who are rent burdened.

Healthcare: Crawley said she is working to create a health equity and outcomes policy advisor position to work with every level of government. She said she is enhancing the focus on maternal and infant health initiatives by continuing to work with CelebrateOne, ROOTT, Cradle Cincinnati, Queens Village and grassroots organizations across the state and the federal government.

Economy and wages: Crawley said she is fighting to ensure county policies support children and families, especially to create pathways out of poverty and reduce criminality. She said she advocates for more job training services and after-school programs so everyone in Franklin County has an opportunity to earn a living wage.

Public safety: Crawley said she works to ensure residents can live in their communities with safety and security, advocating at every level of government for legislation that protects citizens and law enforcement as well as brings transparency and accountability.

Environment: Crawley said she advocates for green energy policy and building standards at the county level.

Endorsements

The AFL-CIO has endorsed Crawley, according to BallotReady profile data.

Candidate issue positions were drawn from responses submitted through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. The Upper Arlington-Grandview Record presents them to help voters evaluate candidates and does not endorse in elections.