Sigurdson Wins Ohio House 19th District Seat
Democrat Nicole Sigurdson defeated Republican Ed Hargate in the Cuyahoga County race to succeed term-limited incumbent Phil Robinson.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
Nicole Sigurdson won the Ohio House 19th District seat, receiving 34,676 votes, or 61.46%, to Ed Hargate's 21,726 votes, or 38.52%, according to unofficial results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. The election was held November 3, 2026.
Why it matters
The open seat resulted from incumbent Phil Robinson of Solon not seeking reelection due to term limits. The district covers 20 eastern and southeastern Cuyahoga County communities, so the outcome determines who represents those residents in the Ohio House.
Sigurdson won by roughly 12,950 votes, a margin of about 23 percentage points over Hargate. The results remain unofficial pending certification by the county board.
The players
Nicole Sigurdson
Sigurdson is an administrative organizer with Service Employees International Union 1199 from Cleveland who won the Ohio House 19th District seat.
Ed Hargate
Hargate is a Highland Heights attorney who previously served 40 years on the Highland Heights City Council before being unseated in 2025.
Phil Robinson
Robinson is the outgoing Ohio House member from Solon who was term-limited and did not seek reelection in the 19th District.
Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is the county agency that administers voting and reported the unofficial results of this race.
The details
Sigurdson, an administrative organizer with Service Employees International Union 1199 from Cleveland, defeated Ed Hargate, an attorney from Highland Heights who was unseated in 2025 after serving 40 years on Highland Heights City Council. The seat was vacated by Phil Robinson, who could not run again under term limits.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Election held for the Ohio House 19th District seat.
November 4, 2026: Unofficial results showed 100% of precincts reporting.
2025: Ed Hargate was unseated after four decades on Highland Heights City Council.
Political Context
Ohio's term limits for state House members forced the open seat that Phil Robinson vacated, which is why this 19th District contest had no incumbent on the ballot. The outcome replaces a term-limited legislator with a new representative in a suburban Cuyahoga County district.
Sigurdson will represent residents across 20 eastern and southeastern Cuyahoga County communities in the Ohio House. Voters in the district will be represented by a new legislator, as the seat changes hands after Robinson's term-limited departure.
The takeaway
An open seat means the district's representation shifts to a newly elected legislator, and Ohio voters in District 19 now have a fresh representative to hold accountable. Results remain unofficial until certified by the county board.
Further reading
For more on how state races like this one are decided, explore Elections coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cleveland Jewish News.
