Ohio Senate: Brown vs. Husted, and the polls

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown is trying to return to the Senate in a special election against Sen. Jon Husted, in a state Trump won by 11. The newest Marist poll has Brown up 4.

How we got here

This is a special election for the seat JD Vance left when he became vice president. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted in January 2025. Brown represented Ohio from 2007 to 2025 and lost to Bernie Moreno in 2024.

The polls (October)

• VoteHub/Verasight, Oct. 1–20: Brown 47%, Husted 44%

• Marist, Oct. 15–18 (likely voters, ±4.5): Brown 48%, Husted 44%

• Rasmussen (R), Oct. 14: Husted 49%, Brown 47%

• BGSU/YouGov, Oct. 9: Brown 48%, Husted 42%

• co/efficient (R), Oct. 6: Husted 44%, Brown 43%

• SSRS, Oct. 5: Brown 49%, Husted 43%

• NYT/Siena, Oct. 1: Brown 49%, Husted 46%

Brown has led in most public polls, by about 3 to 4 points on average. Forecasters still rate it a Toss-up, given Ohio's lean.

Inside the Marist poll

Brown led 50% to 35% among independents. Trump's approval among Ohio likely voters was 43%, with 55% disapproving. On the generic congressional ballot, Democrats led only 49% to 47%, which suggests Brown is running ahead of his party. Forty-four percent said their family finances had gotten worse over the past year.

The issues

Brown has made electricity bills a centerpiece, questioning the data-center boom and tying Husted to the House Bill 6 bribery scandal over a 2019 nuclear plant bailout. Husted denies wrongdoing and has backed the Ratepayer Protection Act, which aims to keep data-center power costs off household bills.

Husted's supporters argue he will back Trump's economic agenda, tax cuts and border enforcement, and say Brown's record is too liberal for today's Ohio. Brown's supporters point to his long pro-worker, anti-free-trade record, which has won over some Trump voters before.

Things to watch

Early voting is heavy: more than 676,000 Ohioans had voted by October 20. Watch whether Brown can win back working-class voters in eastern Ohio who have moved right, and whether the governor's race, where Democrat Amy Acton now leads, helps Democrats down the ballot.