The paper said that Ohio labor leaders have confirmed that Brown is getting into the race after losing Ohio’s other U.S. Senate seat in 2024, which he had held since 2007. Brown, 72, has maintained strong ties to organized labor.
Spokespeople for the Ohio Democratic Party and several others with ties to Brown couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, has traveled to Columbus twice in recent weeks, apparently trying to persuade Brown to make the race.
Husted, who was formerly the Republican lieutenant governor, is seeking his first election to the Senate seat in November 2026. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him earlier this year to fill the seat that was vacated when JD Vance was elevated to the vice presidency.
Brown, who had served as Ohio secretary of state, defeated then-U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine in 2006. Known as a Democrat who can attract independent and Republican votes, Brown lost by less than four percentage points in 2024 in a state that Trump carried by more than 11.
The presence of Brown in the Ohio U.S. Senate race might in some ways be a repeat of last year’s against Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland auto dealer. That contest turned out to be one of the most expensive races in U.S. history.
The Senate currently has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with the Democrats.
The Cook Political Report last week rated the races that are on the ballot this cycle. Of the 22 seats held by Republicans, it rated only one — an open seat in North Carolina — as a toss-up. Another, held by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, was rated as leaning Republican.
Three more, including the Ohio seat held by Husted, were rated likely Republican. It’s unknown whether that will change if Brown makes the race.
With tariffs and deportations possibly feeding inflation and weakening the job market — and with legislation that blew up the deficit and slashed the social safety net while cutting taxes for the rich — Trump’s popularity is well under water. If problems worsen into the next year, that could drag down his fellow Republicans who stand for election.
Right now, gaming and technology businessman Chris Volpe of Columbus is the only officially announced Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026, pending an announcement from Brown.
Ohio 2026 Election
In addition to the statewide race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Husted, Ohio voters will also have an open-seat race for governor in 2026, along with all of Ohio’s other statewide executive offices, as all current officeholders are term-limited.
In the governor’s race, Dr. Amy Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate. On the Republican side, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and political newcomer Heather Hill are vying for the GOP nomination.
While there has been speculation that Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel might also run in the Republican primary, he has not yet made any announcement of a decision either way. The Ohio Republican Party officially endorsed Ramaswamy in May.
Current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is running for attorney general in 2026; current Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor in 2026; and current Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state in 2026. Also running in the Republican primary for secretary of state is retired Air Force intel officer Marcell Strbich.
A Republican primary for the nomination for Ohio treasurer features former state Sen. Niraj Antani, current state Sen. Kristina Roegner, and Lake County Treasurer Michael Zuren.
Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. Former state representative Elliot Forhan has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Ohio Attorney General. No Democrats have yet announced their candidacy in 2026 for Ohio auditor or treasurer.
The state also has one Ohio Supreme Court race in 2026. The sole remaining Democratic justice on the 6-1 court, Jennifer Brunner, faces a challenge from Republican Justice Patrick F. Fischer, as Fischer would be, by law, too old to run for reelection to his own seat in 2028.
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