OHIO — Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 2026. He is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted.

Brown addressed these issues during his campaign events. He stated that decisions about children's medical treatments should be made by families and doctors. He also stated he would leave the matter of transgender athletes' participation in school sports to local determination.

"The disdain, the contempt they have for work and for workers tells you everything," Brown said. "Corporations are making more and more money while people are working harder than ever."

Labor unions remain a central component of Brown's coalition. BAC Local 23 has endorsed him. The Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council has endorsed him.

Dorsey Hager is the executive secretary-treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. "It's no secret that President Trump won the state in '16, '20, and '24," Hager said. However, other labor organizations have backed the incumbent. The building trades councils in Cleveland and Toledo have endorsed Husted. The Boilermakers union has endorsed Husted.

Dave Janiszewski is a retired steel and paper plant worker canvassing for Brown in Columbus. Brown spoke at the biennial gathering of the Ohio AFL-CIO in 2026. "I want you to talk to people, because people will listen to you," he said.

"I want you to share information — how I spent my whole career fighting for workers." He urged supporters to emphasize the stakes. "Tell them how important this election is, and how important it is that they get out and vote," he said. "I've personally met him, know him — I've been around him since 2012," Dave Janiszewski said. "He's always been there for working people," Janiszewski said.

Critics point to economic conditions under the previous administration as a factor in voter sentiment. John Plecnik is a Republican commissioner in Lake County, Ohio. "People aren't stupid. They know that the borders were wide open during President Biden's term, and it was hurting labor," Plecnik said.

"Now that we see strong border security, you're starting to see salaries tick back up again, jobs tick back up again." Dani Isaacsohn is the minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives. "In an affordability election, it's hard to imagine a candidate better than Sherrod Brown," Dani Isaacsohn said.

Timeline

In 2016, Donald Trump won 54% of union households in Ohio, while Hillary Clinton won 41%. Brown won re-election to a third Senate term in 2018. The Butch Lewis Act, legislation protecting union pensions, was enacted in 2021 with Brown's support.

Brown attended a rally with the Communications Workers of America Local 4370 on October 26, 2024. Brown served 32 years in the U.S. Congress before losing his Senate seat in 2024. Republican Bernie Moreno defeated Brown in the 2024 Ohio Senate election. Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election in Ohio by more than 11 percentage points over Kamala Harris. Donald Trump received the most votes of any presidential candidate in Ohio history in 2024.

What's New

In the 2024 Ohio Senate race, Brown lost to Republican Bernie Moreno by 3.6 percentage points, despite receiving strong support from union workers and Democratic voters, according to official election results. Husted, the incumbent Republican Senator, was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2024 after JD Vance was elected Vice President, and he has consistently aligned himself with Donald Trump’s policies, including supporting the 2024 tax cuts and Medicaid work requirements. In the 2026 Ohio Senate race, pro-crypto groups have spent approximately $30 million against Brown, reflecting his past role as the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where he was critical of the cryptocurrency industry.

In the 2026 Ohio Senate race, President Trump’s political action committee has spent $11 million to support Husted. BAC Local 23 has endorsed Brown. Brown has maintained strong support from organized labor, with endorsements from unions such as BAC Local 23 and the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, despite losing the 2024 Senate race to Bernie Moreno.

Why It Matters

The 2026 Ohio Senate race features financial opposition from pro-crypto groups and Trump-aligned PACs against former Senator Brown. Pro-crypto groups have spent approximately $30 million against Brown, reflecting his critical stance on the cryptocurrency industry during his tenure on the Senate Banking Committee. President Trump’s political action committee has spent $11 million to support incumbent Husted. These expenditures indicate the high stakes of the contest as both sides mobilize resources ahead of early voting beginning on October 6, 2026.

Brown's campaign relies heavily on his long-standing relationships with organized labor, having secured endorsements from BAC Local 23 and the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. This support persists despite his 2024 loss to Bernie Moreno by 3.6 percentage points. The election occurs in a state where Donald Trump won the presidency by more than 11 percentage points in 2024, receiving the most votes of any presidential candidate in Ohio history. The outcome will test whether Brown can reclaim union households that have shifted toward Trump in recent elections, as seen when Trump won 54% of union households in 2016.