U.S. House race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Representative, Ohio District 11
Represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, which writes and votes on federal laws, taxes and spending.
2-year term. Under the 2026 map, the district lies entirely within Cuyahoga County, covering Cleveland and inner suburbs such as Euclid, Cleveland Heights and Warrensville Heights.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Shontel Brown
U.S. Representative, Ohio's 11th District (since 2021)Shontel Brown, a Democrat, has represented Ohio's 11th District since winning a 2021 special election. Before that she served on the Cuyahoga County Council and the Warrensville Heights City Council. She is Vice Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, and her campaign emphasizes Social Security, food assistance (SNAP), health care costs and federal investment in the district.
Mike Kirchner
Retired consulting actuaryMike Kirchner is a retired consultant from Highland Heights who spent about 30 years evaluating mostly pension plans. He won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary and is challenging incumbent Rep. Shontel Brown. His campaign centers on the finances of Social Security's Old Age and Survivors (OAS) program, the subject of a paper he posted on his campaign website.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Shontel Brown Democratic | Mike Kirchner Republican |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security & Medicare | Co-sponsored and voted for the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82), which repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, and signed the discharge petition to bring it to a floor vote. | Proposes stopping new Old Age and Survivors (OAS) benefit accruals in 2027 and redirecting the employee's 5.3% OAS payroll tax into a vested, tax-deferred account such as a 401(k), 403(b) or IRA; the employer OAS tax would continue until the system is financially stable, with no change to the disability program. Says the OAS trust fund is projected to run out of assets in the early 2030s and calls for more transparency about the program's unfunded obligations and direct communication to the public about expected benefit reductions. |
| Agriculture | Introduced the Hunger Free Future Act (2025), which would bar USDA updates to the Thrifty Food Plan that increase food insecurity; says Congress should reverse the SNAP cuts in the 2025 budget law (H.R. 1) through the Farm Bill. | No public position found yet |
| Education | Introduced the Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act (2026), which would create a $2 billion grant program to help low-income elementary schools cap K–3 classes at 18 students. | No public position found yet |
| Elections & Democracy | No public position found yet | Says he has not seen the voter suppression described by voting-rights advocates or the invalid votes cited by President Trump, and called the president's focus on past elections "a distraction." |
| Foreign Policy | No public position found yet | Said he has no position on the Middle East war involving the U.S., Israel and Iran, saying domestic decisions are more important to him and that he would listen to those with stronger views. |
| Health Care | Supports extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits; in March 2026 urged the Senate to pass the House-passed three-year extension. | No public position found yet |
| Housing | Introduced the Affordable Housing Preservation and Protection Act (2026), which would create a 1% interest HUD loan program to repair distressed HUD-assisted multifamily housing. | No public position found yet |
| Taxes | No public position found yet | In his paper, lists raising FICA payroll taxes and applying them to wages above the current cap as possible responses once the trust fund is depleted, and says workers and employers would resist or adjust to such increases. |