The Ballot Brief
Van Wert County, Ohio

Ohio House District 82

3 candidates are tracked for Ohio House District 82 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Maddux McCray, Roy W. Klopfenstein and Christopher Elder. Candidate information follows official Van Wert County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Maddux McCray (Democratic), Roy W. Klopfenstein (Republican), Christopher Elder (Libertarian) are on the November 3 ballot for Ohio House District 82; Roy W. Klopfenstein is the sitting member, per the Ohio House of Representatives's official member directory (ohiohouse.gov). Nominees were chosen at the May 5, 2026 primary or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified 2026 General Election candidate list; Ohio prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Roy W. Klopfenstein, is on the ballot.

Ohio › Van Wert County › Ohio House District 82

Maddux McCray

Democratic

Top priorities
  • Supports investing in public schools, including arts, music, STEM and special education
  • Supports transparency requirements for data center development, including water and energy use
  • Supports protecting family farms and rural infrastructure

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Maddux McCray is a substitute teacher and historical tour guide from Van Wert County who is completing a Bachelor of Arts in History through Marshall University, per his campaign site. He describes nearly a decade of experience as a grassroots organizer on campaigns across Ohio, per his campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Roy W. Klopfenstein

Roy W. Klopfenstein

Republican Incumbent

Top priorities
  • Campaigns on being pro-faith, pro-liberty, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and pro-parents' rights, and opposed to government mandates.

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Roy W. Klopfenstein is the Republican incumbent for Ohio House District 82, serving his second term representing Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert counties and the southern portion of Defiance County, per the Ohio House of Representatives. He has farmed with his family in Paulding County for more than 43 years and served ten years as a Paulding County Commissioner before his election to the House, per the same source.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Christopher Elder

Libertarian

Biography

Christopher Elder is the Libertarian candidate for Ohio House District 82. He has worked for three years as a Family Teacher at the Marsh Foundation in Van Wert, with prior experience in hardware retail and information technology, per West Bend News. He is the first Libertarian candidate from Paulding County since 2000, per The VW Independent. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Ohio House District 82 in 2026?

3 candidates are tracked for Ohio House District 82 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Maddux McCray, Roy W. Klopfenstein and Christopher Elder. Candidate information follows official Van Wert County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Ohio House District 82 election in Ohio?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Ohio are on the Ohio election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Van Wert County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Van Wert County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Ohio election office, or see the full Van Wert County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Van Wert County ballot

2 tracked races in Van Wert County, Ohio. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

See all 2 Van Wert County races
Candidate profiles
Maddux McCray, full profileRoy W. Klopfenstein, full profileChristopher Elder, full profileOfficial Ohio election office