Maria
Jukic
Democratic attorney and former Euclid City Council member challenging incumbent Rep. Dave Joyce in Ohio's 14th District
- sources
- 11
- positions
- 10
- endorsements
- 3
Background
Maria Jukic is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Ohio's 14th Congressional District, challenging Republican incumbent Dave Joyce in the November 3, 2026 general election. She is an attorney and small-business owner who previously spent 24 years in healthcare administration at Cleveland Clinic, including work developing its Arts and Medicine Institute, before being laid off. She was raised in a working-class Cleveland neighborhood and currently resides in Euclid, Ohio, though Cleveland.com reported she lives about a mile outside the 14th District and has pledged to move in if elected. [Sources 1, 3, 4]
Jukic served on Euclid City Council from 2020 to 2023 and holds a bachelor's degree in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame, a Juris Doctor from Cleveland State University College of Law, and a master's degree in Theology and Religious Studies from John Carroll University (2022). Earlier in her career she worked in marketing and public relations at Euclid Hospital, in humanitarian aid, and as a translator for foreign journalists in Croatia. Her background also includes work in manufacturing and nonprofit community organizations. [Sources 1, 2, 3, 4]
Jukic is the daughter of Croatian immigrants and describes her upbringing as rooted in a UAW family with a strong working-class ethos. She won the Democratic primary in May 2026 and has centered her campaign on issues including healthcare access, housing affordability, and economic concerns. [Sources 8, 11, 13, 17]
At a glance
- Party
- Democratic
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 14, Ohio
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Attorney and small-business owner; 2026 Democratic nominee for Ohio's 14th Congressional District
- Website
- mariajukicforcongress.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 9newsLocal press covers Joyce–Jukic contest ahead of November 3 general election
The News-Herald described Jukic challenging incumbent Dave Joyce in the November 3 election, and a separate candidate profile listed her top priorities as cost of living, AI and data centers, health-care access, ending the Iran war, campaign-finance reform, anti-corruption measures, and environmental protection.
Election 2026: Dave Joyce, Maria Jukic face off in District 14 congressional race · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 6newsEarly voting begins in Ohio, including the Joyce–Jukic OH-14 race
Absentee and early in-person voting began in Ohio on October 6, with Jukic and Joyce identified as the general-election candidates for the 14th Congressional District.
Dave Joyce vs. Maria Jukic: Ohio 14th District race 2026 · Sep 20, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 20newsCleveland.com profiles Jukic's policy platform and campaign rationale
Jukic called for saving Social Security, opposing hyperscale data centers, AI protections, a $15 minimum wage, ending the Iran conflict, reversing tariffs, and immigration reform including a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. She cited the January killing of Renee Goode by federal agents in Minneapolis as her motivation to run.
Dave Joyce vs. Maria Jukic: Ohio 14th District race 2026 · Sep 20, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 16endorsementNurses for America endorses Maria Jukic for Congress
The national volunteer nurses' organization endorsed Jukic, citing her commitments on health care, families, communities, and individual rights.
Nurses for America Endorses Maria Jukic for Congress - Maria Jukic for Ohio's 14th Congressional District · Sep 16, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 30filingFundraising gap revealed: Jukic had $33,693 cash on hand versus Joyce's $3.1 million
End-of-June FEC figures showed Jukic had raised $61,678, spent $19,515, and held $33,693 cash on hand, compared with incumbent Dave Joyce's $3.1 million war chest.
Dave Joyce vs. Maria Jukic: Ohio 14th District race 2026 · Sep 20, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - May 5newsMaria Jukic wins Ohio 14th District Democratic primary with 50.8% of the vote
NPR's results page listed Jukic with 50.8% (25,017 votes), defeating Bill O'Neill and Carl Setzer to secure the Democratic nomination for Ohio's 14th Congressional District.
Ohio Primary Election Results 2026 · Oct 11, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- United Auto Workers (UAW) unionJukic is listed among the UAW's 2026 Ohio endorsements; no specific date given. uawpower.org
- Nurses for America organizationThe organization's core team of nurse leaders voted to support her, per campaign announcement. mariajukicforcongress.com · Sep 16, 2026
- AFSCME Power In Action unionListed in Jukic campaign endorsement archive. mariajukicforcongress.com · Jun 25, 2026
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $62K
- Spent
- $20K
- Cash on hand
- $34K
As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6OH14248(opens in a new tab)
Sources 11
- [1] Ohio Primary Election Results 2026(opens in a new tab) Oct 11, 2026
- [2] Election 2026: Dave Joyce, Maria Jukic face off in District 14 congressional race(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [3] Maria Jukic, candidate for District 14, U.S. House of Representatives, November 2026(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [4] U.S. Representative - District 14 | Ideastream Public Media(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
- [5] We have the power. Let's make it count.(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
- [6] Dave Joyce vs. Maria Jukic: Ohio 14th District race 2026(opens in a new tab) Sep 20, 2026
- [7] Nurses for America Endorses Maria Jukic for Congress - Maria Jukic for Ohio's 14th Congressional District(opens in a new tab) Sep 16, 2026
- [8] Endorsements Archives - Maria Jukic for Ohio's 14th Congressional District(opens in a new tab) Jun 25, 2026
- [9] Maria Jukic, candidate for Congress, 14th District, May 2026(opens in a new tab) Apr 22, 2026
- [10] Immigration: Constitutional, Humane, and Smart(opens in a new tab) Apr 16, 2026
- [11] FOR THE PEOPLE(opens in a new tab) Feb 20, 2026