Republicans Dealt Double Polling Blow in Ohio Senate Race
Ohio Republicans faced a difficult week after a GOP-aligned poll showed former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown leading Senator Jon Husted and a newly released survey added pressure in a contest likely to help determine Senate control.
The polling from the Ohio Environmental Council also showed GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy trailing his Democratic rival Amy Acton by 10 points.
The developments arrived as both parties eyed Ohio as a potential tipping-point race in a narrowly divided U.S. Senate and as campaigns accelerated ahead of the May primary and November midterms.
Why It Matters
Republicans have held a 53-47 Senate majority and Ohio represented one of a small number of GOP-held seats where Democrats saw a pickup opportunity, raising the stakes for both parties in 2026.
Ohio had shifted right in recent cycles-Donald Trump carried the state by about 11 percentage points in 2024-and independent ratings listed the Senate race as lean Republican, making any Democratic advantage notable.
What To Know
The Ohio Environmental Council published a new statewide survey March 10 which showed Brown leading Senator Husted 51 percent to 47 percent in a survey of 1,343 likely November 2026 voters, conducted February 10 to 22.
Brown, who spent 18 years in the Senate and more than a decade in the House, saw 84 percent support among Democratic voters, while Husted had the support of 70 percent of GOP voters. Independents were largely split: 48 percent for Brown compared to 49 percent for Husted.
A poll conducted by the Republican-aligned firm On Message Public Strategies from March 3 to 8 among likely voters found Brown at 47 percent and Husted at 45 percent, with 8 percent undecided.
In the race for governor, Ramaswamy was underperforming among Republicans, with 65 percent support, in contrast to Acton’s 82 percent support among her Democratic Party base.
What Did Earlier Polling Show?
An Emerson College Polling survey of 850 registered Ohio voters conducted December 6 to 8 found Husted at 49 percent and Brown at 46 percent, with about 5 percent undecided; the poll reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Polling consolidated by The New York Times over the past year showed Husted leading for several months in 2025, with Brown catching up and overtaking in recent months.
What People Are Saying
Former Senator Sherrod Brown said in a March 7 X post: “Despite what my opponent says, Ohioans' work ethic is not ‘broken.' In reality, Ohioans are working harder than ever just to get by. The real problem is that Jon Husted would rather fight for billionaires than stand up for working Ohioans.”
Senator Jon Husted responded via his campaign in a March 9 X post: “While Sherrod Brown was in Washington for 32 years catering to the elite, Senator @JonHusted was right here in Ohio, fighting for what really matters.”
What Happens Next
Ohio's primary election is scheduled for May 5, and the general election for November 3, with both parties expected to intensify advertising and voter-contact efforts as polling continues to shift.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2026 at 9:48 AM.