Last November, now Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, defeated incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, helping Republicans regain control of the chamber. With Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance in the Senate, up for election in 2026, Brown may be running once more.
Axios last week reported that Brown met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a clear sign he was considering getting into the race. Now, Axios is reporting that Brown is interviewing campaign managers, an even surer sign he’ll be running.
The Axios report, which describes Brown’s move as “a clear indication that he’s preparing to jump into the race,” cites “three people familiar with the matter.”
If Brown were to enter the race, Axios describes him as “another marquee recruit” for Schumer, with former Gov. Roy Cooper, D-N.C, having announced last week that he was entering the race for the open U.S. Senate seat in his state.
Ohio is becoming an increasingly red state, with President Donald Trump winning there in 2016, 2020, and 2024, after former President Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012. Trump won by 11.2 points last year, while Moreno beat Brown by 3.6 points.
That being said, this race would still be considered one of Schumer’s best hopes on the 2026 Senate map. “While Ohio has been viewed as a stretch target for the party next year, Brown’s entrance into the race would immediately boost Democratic chances,” the Axios report mentioned, also acknowledging that “Schumer knows that Brown is likely his best shot at running a competitive campaign in Ohio next year, as the state moves away from the Democratic Party.”
The report also expresses where Brown may still have a chance. “Given his long-standing pro-tariff and trade-skeptical positions, Democrats think that Brown can outperform a generic Democrat and appeal to some MAGA voters.”
Moreno, who entered the Republican primary in 2023, carried himself as a MAGA candidate from the start. Brown’s opponent should he run, Husted, has received support from Trump. Like Moreno, Husted is touring parts of Ohio to promote the One Big Beautiful Bill that the president signed last month on July 4.
“Sherrod Brown is a radical liberal loser who was just rejected by Ohio voters. He’s a desperate career politician who spent decades putting Democrat’s liberal agenda above delivering for Ohio families and he will lose again if he runs for Senate,” Nick Puglia, regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told The Daily Signal when reached for comment.
Beyond Trump’s endorsement, Husted has been able to boast impressive fundraising numbers, as the Axios report noted, raising $2.9 million for the second quarter. NBC News also last month touted Husted and Marco Rubio’s Senate replacement Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., as having smooth paths to the Republican nomination in their respective races next year.
“Senator Husted has earned the trust of Ohioans through his strong record of proven common-sense leadership,” the Husted campaign told The Daily Signal last week. “We don’t waste time on who the Democrats might nominate. We will run our campaign and win.”
The Democratic Senatorial Committee did not respond to a request for comment on the state of the race.
That being said, Brown’s entrance into the U.S. Senate race would likely not please everyone.
The Ohio gubernatorial election also takes place next year, with current Republican Gov. Mike DeWine being term-limited. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is running as a Republican in that race, with Dr. Amy Acton having entered the Democrat primary race.
“Brown’s Senate ambitions, if he acts on them, would be disappointing to some Ohio Democrats, who view him as the party’s best chance to defeat [Ramaswamy],” the report stated. “Party insiders have been long pessimistic about the odds of Brown running for Senate again, and he was also considering running for governor, sources previously told Axios.”
Cook Political Report currently regards both the U.S. Senate race and gubernatorial race next year for Ohio as “Likely Republican.”
The post Former Sen. Sherrod Brown That Much Closer to Running appeared first on The Daily Signal.