Sherrod Brown Leads in Ohio Senate Race Against Jon Husted

Sherrod Brown Leads in Polls

Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown holds an 8-point lead over incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted, according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday. Brown, who previously served three terms, is seeking to return to Washington after a 2024 loss to Republican Bernie Moreno.

Husted became a senator in January 2025 following JD Vance’s appointment as vice president. The poll indicates Brown’s 53 percent support compared to Husted’s 45 percent among registered Ohio voters. Efforts to reach both campaigns for comments were made by Newsweek.

Primary Election Outcomes

Both Brown and Husted secured their respective nominations in last month’s primary election. Husted’s favorability stands at 41 percent, with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent. Brown’s ratings show 53 percent favorability versus 44 percent unfavorable.

President Donald Trump’s favorability in the poll is 42 percent, while his unfavorable rating is at 57 percent. This marks a significant change from a November 2024 poll that showed a favorability of 52 percent and an unfavorable rating of 46 percent. The recent poll involved 1,015 Ohio registered voters and has a margin of error of 3 percent.

Party Support Breakdown

Brown garners 98 percent support from Democrats, while Husted has 86 percent backing among Republicans. Notably, 13 percent of Republicans support Brown, whereas only 2 percent of Democrats back Husted. The Cook Political Report classifies the Senate race in Ohio, along with those in Maine and Michigan, as a “toss-up.”

Campaign and Criticisms

Both candidates have engaged in a war of words on social media. Team Husted accused Brown on X of lacking significant accomplishments in over three decades in Washington. Brown countered, attributing rising living costs to Husted and criticizing his failure to address these issues.

Polling Variations

In a Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll conducted prior to the primaries, Husted led with 50 percent over Brown’s 47 percent, while 3 percent opted for other candidates. This survey sampled 1,000 registered Ohio voters between April 7 and April 14, with a margin of error of 3.88 percent.

Another poll by NetChoice and conducted by Echelon Insights last month showed Husted with 51 percent compared to Brown’s 45 percent. This survey involved 413 Ohio voters polled from April 3 to April 9, carrying a margin of error of 5.8 percent.