Brenda Buchanan

Brenda Buchanan is the Democratic candidate for Ohio House of Representatives District 54 in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Republican Kellie Deeter.[1][2] A longtime radio traffic director and former school board member, she also ran for the seat in 2024.[2][3]

Brenda Buchanan grew up in a working-class family in Berea, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's degree from Kent State University in 1985 and a graduate degree from Cleveland State University in 2020.[2][3] In a Ballotpedia survey, she said she has worked for nearly 40 years as a radio traffic director in the Cleveland market and is currently Traffic Supervisor for the Audacy New England region.[3]

Buchanan said she and her husband have lived in Columbia Township for 30 years.[3] She said she served two terms on the Columbia Local Schools Board of Education from 2008 to 2015, including four years as president.[3] Buchanan was the Democratic nominee for District 54 in 2024, when Kellie Deeter defeated her in the general election, 65.5 percent to 34.5 percent.[2]

In the 2024 survey, Buchanan said she would work to protect Ohio's 2023 reproductive-rights constitutional amendment and to prevent the weakening of public schools, citing the state's expansion of private school vouchers.[3] She also named gun-safety legislation and support for townships as priorities.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.