Neurologist Cara Jacob runs for Ohio Senate District 7

Cara Jacob, a Democrat and neurologist, is running for Ohio State Senate District 7 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Zac Haines.

Jacob lives in the northern Cincinnati suburbs, according to Ohio Pride PAC's endorsement page. The organization described her as a first-time candidate who reached a straightforward conclusion: if the Statehouse would not listen to doctors, a doctor should run for the Statehouse.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: Ohio State Senate, District 7
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Occupation: Neurologist at the University of Cincinnati, according to Ohio Pride PAC
Residence: northern Cincinnati suburbs, according to Ohio Pride PAC
Family: Mother of two, according to Ohio Pride PAC

Experience and public service

Jacob's professional background is in neurology. She treats patients with Parkinson's disease, dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, according to Ohio Pride PAC.

Before running for office, Jacob served as a petition captain for the Reproductive Freedom Amendment and for the SB 1 referendum, according to Ohio Pride PAC. She also submitted written testimony opposing SB 113, the Senate DEI ban, and SB 1 before the Ohio General Assembly, according to the same source.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Jacob's campaign platform as submitted through BallotReady.

Healthcare: Jacob said she supports regulatory oversight of pharmacy benefit managers to end practices she described as "spread pricing" and "copay clawbacks," which she said inflate costs for patients and drive independent pharmacies out of business. She said she believes Ohio should adopt patient-centered reforms and move toward a single-payer, universal healthcare system. She also said the state should expand access to care and retain medical providers to address workforce shortages.

Property taxes and budget: Jacob said she supports a property tax circuit breaker, which ties relief to a household's ability to pay, and expanding the homestead exemption for seniors. She said she would push to shift school funding responsibility back to the state to reduce reliance on local property taxes.

Education: Jacob said she supports full implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan. She said decisions about curriculum and learning standards should be guided by teachers, not politicians.

Housing: Jacob said she supports limiting bulk home purchases by corporate buyers backed by private equity, which she said drive up prices and push families out of their communities.

Reproductive rights: Jacob said she would fight any legislation that threatens access to reproductive healthcare in Ohio. She said she would champion policies expanding access to contraception, protecting fertility treatments such as IVF, and ensuring women have the medical freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.