Sherrod Brown launches 2026 U.S. Senate comeback bid, will face Jon Husted

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Sherrod Brown announced on Monday he will run for the U.S. Senate once again, setting the stage for a 2026 showdown against Republican Jon Husted.

Brown's comeback bid re-enters him into the national spotlight just over a year after narrowly losing re-election in 2024. The 72-year-old Democrat represented Ohio in the Senate from 2007 to 2025 and has remained active since his departure through his nonprofit "Dignity of Work Institute." His campaign is already drawing national attention as Democrats look to reclaim control of the Senate.

Brown will be running in a special election, which will determine who finishes the remainder of J.D. Vance's Senate term. Vance vacated the seat in January to become vice president, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine to appoint then-Lt. Gov. Husted to fill the vacancy.

Husted, a longtime fixture in Ohio Republican politics, officially launched his campaign earlier this year and has quickly consolidated GOP support, including an early endorsement from President Donald Trump. Husted has more than $2.6 million in campaign funds and the backing of national conservative organizations.

Polls suggest the race will be competitive: an April poll by the Democracy and Public Policy Network at Bowling Green State University shows Husted leading Brown by three percentage points, within the margin of error.

As part of a press release Monday morning, Brown's campaign said, "Washington is making life harder for Ohioans by pushing reckless tariffs and economic chaos, spiking drug prices, ripping away health insurance and raising the deficit – all to give billionaires the largest tax cut in American history – Sherrod is running for Senate to make a real difference for Ohioans."

Democrats need to flip four seats in 2026 to retake the Senate majority, and Brown's return significantly improves their odds in Ohio. Despite Trump winning Ohio by double digits in 2024, Brown's past success in winning statewide has Democrats optimistic. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly met with Brown multiple times in Columbus to urge him to run.