Brown launches Senate bid in Ohio

Brown launches a 2026 bid to return to the U.S. Senate, arguing the Republican tax and spending package hurts working people.

Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown runs for Senate against Jon Husted

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sherrod Brown officially kicked off his 2026 campaign to return to the U.S. Senate, aiming to unseat Republican Jon Husted. Brown, a longtime Democrat who lost to Bernie Moreno last year, says he could not stay on the sidelines after Republicans passed a tax breaks and spending package he argues benefits the wealthy and cuts services for lower‑income Americans.

Brown, 72, presents a pro‑working class message and notes he has built a new pro‑worker nonprofit under the Dignity of Work banner. Husted, a veteran Ohio politician who was appointed to the seat earlier this year, has the support of former President Donald Trump and a well‑funded campaign front. The race will decide a seat in a state that has trended more Republican in recent cycles, with Brown signaling he will press a message about fairness for Ohio workers and the broader middle class. Labor leaders and voters along the campaign trail engaged with Brown, though some unions expressed interest in a governor run instead. A strategy memo from the National Republican Senatorial Campaign casts the race as a steep climb for Brown given Ohio’s political tilt and Husted’s fundraising. The dynamics will be shaped by turnout among working‑class voters, the influence of national endorsements, and Brown’s effort to connect his labor stance to everyday issues.

Ohio politics now sits at a crossroads. Brown’s bid tests whether a traditional labor‑focused message can cut through a state that shifted toward Republicans and remains wary of remote fundraising power from coastal donors. The challenge for Brown is not just messaging but coalitions: turning working people into a durable base while persuading moderates that his approach can govern in a red‑leaning state. Husted’s profile as a long‑time insider with strong fundraising and a Trump endorsement adds heft to the uphill climb, even as Brown reframes the debate around tax policy, shared prosperity, and public services.

The race could also reveal how national political narratives play in Ohio. Brown’s campaign ties into a broader Democratic strategy to present the party as a defender of everyday workers. Husted’s defense hinges on competence and incumbency, plus a reminder of Ohio’s shifting political landscape. The outcome may influence how both parties calibrate their messages in midterm races across similar battlegrounds, where labor issues and tax policy collide with local governance and corruption concerns surrounding donor networks.

Highlights

The coming months will show how far working‑class messaging can travel in Ohio politics.