The 16th district includes the city of Canton, containing Stark and Wayne counties, as well as the southern portions of Medina and Ashland counties.

For several years Ralph Regula has introduced legislation to block the state of Alaska's wish to rename Mt. McKinley:

"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, notwithstanding any other authority of law, the mountain located 63 degrees 04 minutes 12 seconds north, by 151 degrees 00 minutes 18 seconds west shall continue to be named and referred to for all purposes as Mount McKinley." Alaska would like to change the mountain's official name to Denali, the native American name for the mountain. However, Mt. McKinley was named after US President William McKinley, who spent most of his life in the district Regula represents. Further, Regula represents the same congressional district, within Ohio, which voted McKinley into Congress before he became president. Regula and McKinley are also both brothers in Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Regula is a member of The Republican Main Street Partnership and supports Stem-Cell Research. Regula is known for his constituent services and being an effective moderate voice within the Ohio Congressional delegation.

In the May 2006 GOP primary, Regula defeated conservative challenger Matt Miller, an Ashland County commissioner, by only less than 16 percent of the district's vote. In his 17th term in Congress, Regula, 81, campaigned largely based on his position as vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Miller stated the district needs a new face.

Regula will face Democrat Thomas Shaw of Wooster in the general election this fall.

Regula has been noted to side with President Bush on the issues in his voting approximately 80 percent of the times he votes.