Brown launches Ohio Senate bid

Former Senator Sherrod Brown returns to run for the vacant Ohio Senate seat, setting up a high stakes 2026 contest that could shape Senate control.

Brown launches challenge to Husted in Ohio Senate race

Former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, launched a comeback campaign on Monday for a 2026 special election to fill the seat left by JD Vance’s election as vice president. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Jon Husted to the vacancy, and Brown will face him if he wins the nomination. The two year term in question is the remainder of Vance’s term, ending in 2024; the race is expected to attract national attention and funding.

Brown, 72, lost his bid for a fourth term last year to Republican Bernie Moreno as Donald Trump carried Ohio by a wide margin. He and his wife Connie Schultz have relocated to Bexley, near Columbus, and Brown has started the Dignity of Work Institute. Democrats see the race as an opportunity to regain Senate influence, with Senate leaders backing Brown and praising his record on workers and Social Security.

Brown’s bid highlights how Democrats are leaning on proven lawmakers to contest a swing state. A victory could nudge Senate control but would require broad appeal across Ohio’s diverse voters who weigh health care, jobs, and cost of living. The race also tests how national party machinery interacts with local politics in a state that can swing between parties in midterm cycles. As the candidates frame the contest around workers’ rights and a response to federal policy, the outcome may signal how much weight Ohio voters place on local leadership versus national party promises.

The campaign also underscores the role of political leadership and fundraising in a era of polarized politics. Husted’s record and DeWine’s influence set a traditional playing field, while Brown’s connect to labor and midwestern concerns aims to broaden the appeal beyond traditional Democratic strongholds. National strategy will drive up spending and push a narrative about who can fix what voters see as a broken Washington.

Highlights

Ohio will watch closely as this race unfolds