Jerrad Christian

Jerrad Christian is the Democratic nominee in Ohio's 12th Congressional District and a U.S. Navy veteran who works as a software engineer. He was the Democratic nominee in 2024, losing to Rep. Troy Balderson, and won the May 2026 Democratic primary. According to his campaign website, he is running on a message of giving power back to Ohio's working class.[1][2]

Christian was born in Ohio and, according to his campaign website, grew up in poverty in Appalachian Ohio; he attended Madison-Plains High School.[1][2] He served in the U.S. Navy from 2002 to 2007, first as a flight deck fueler on an aircraft carrier and then as a meteorologist and oceanographer.[1][2] After his discharge he worked as an outdoor education teacher for a non-profit and used GI Bill funds to attend Ohio University; he also attended Ohio State University.[1][2]

According to his campaign website, Christian worked as a factory janitor for about four years while attending a tech school and then moved into software engineering, his current profession.[1][2] He ran as the Democratic nominee in Ohio's 12th District in 2024 and lost to Troy Balderson, 68.5% to 31.5%, on November 5, 2024. He advanced from the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026, with 46.4% of the vote.[1] In his Ballotpedia Candidate Connection responses he describes himself as a father and a veteran.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.