Particle.news
Download on the App Store
23 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

Sherrod Brown to Run in Ohio’s 2026 Senate Special Election

The decision heightens Democratic hopes for a Senate pickup in a contest marked by Republican attacks alongside polling advantages favoring the incumbent.

Sherrod Brown at a campaign rally in Cincinnati last year.
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) addresses members of the Local 23 and 25 food service and hospitality labor workers' unions during a picket line to protest against Capitol food service worker layoffs, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) speaks with the media as he attends a press conference after inspecting the site of a train derailment of hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Alan Freed/File Photo
In this October 2024 photo, Sherrod Brown speaks during a campaign event at UAW Local 1112 in Warren, Ohio.

Overview

  • Multiple outlets on August 12 report that Brown will challenge appointed Sen. Jon Husted in the November 2026 special election to serve out J.D. Vance’s unexpired term.
  • Senate Democratic leaders, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, actively courted Brown this summer, viewing his entry as a key recruiting victory in an uphill fight for the majority.
  • Husted holds President Trump’s endorsement, outpaced Brown in spring fundraising with over $2.9 million raised in Q2, and led by roughly 6 points in an April Bowling Green State University poll.
  • Following Brown’s reported decision to run, Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted its rating on the Ohio race from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican.”
  • Both national party committees have already launched pre-general-election advertising and attack messaging as they brace for a high-profile, costly contest that could tip Senate control.