Husted Officially Files for Race That Could Determine Control of the Senate

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is officially running to keep his senate seat come 2026.

The Daily Signal was on the ground in Columbus to speak to Husted as he filed his paperwork on Friday morning with Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office. In the 2026 midterm election, Husted will likely face former Democrat Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his seat in 2024 to Sen. Bernie Moreno.

At an event after the filing, Husted met with campaign supporters and filmed a video expressing enthusiasm not only for next year’s election, but also next year’s 250th anniversary of America.

A Tight Race

While the once-purple Ohio has trended red in recent elections, a recent poll suggests races in Ohio could be tight.

On Thursday, Emerson College released a poll that found Husted leading Brown 49% to 46%, which is 3% down from Husted’s Emerson College poll advantage in August 2025.

In the August poll, Husted had led Brown by 50% to 44%.

When asked by The Daily Signal if he was concerned about the shift, Husted pointed out he was still leading but also that he is “not going to get into the business of following every poll.”

“At this point, we’re ahead. We’re in great shape, but understand, I never take the voters of Ohio for granted,” Husted continued. “We’ll go out and earn every single one of those votes next year and beyond, and we’ll come away victorious.”

“Poll numbers will fluctuate,” Husted added, and that you “can’t depend on poll numbers.”

Building Support

The Emerson poll also found that Husted’s name identification lags behind other prominent politicians from the Buckeye state.

When voters were asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of, or were unsure/had never heard of a group of Ohio politicians, 38% said they were unsure or had never heard of Husted.

“Having everybody know you as somebody that’s been around forever is not exactly an asset,” Husted argued about such a poll finding.

But the senator acknowledged that “there are a lot of people that I have to introduce myself to, that’s true.”

In Husted’s mind, however, it’s an opportunity. “We have a lot of growth opportunity,” which he sees “as really good news, as a matter of fact.”

In this effort. the Husted campaign hit the ground running this week, releasing a campaign video boasting his service record and announcing a list of county chairs for grassroots efforts.

Husted Versus Brown

Husted invoked Moreno during the press gaggle as well, pointing out that Moreno was down against Brown early on in the polls and ultimately emerged victorious.

Moreno’s victory despite Brown’s status as a well-known figure in Ohio politics also came up. “Sherrod Brown just spent $300 million on his election… around a year ago, and lost by over 200,000 votes. He’s probably as well known as anybody in the history of Ohio politics, but he’s been there for 50 years. He was in Washington for 32 years, and the voters just sent him home, and they have a pretty good memory, and I’m confident that they know that I have fought for them,” Husted shared.

As Husted told The Daily Signal about his race against Brown during an exclusive interview in September: “I’m an Ohio guy and he’s a D.C. guy.”

Before being appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to fill now Vice President JD Vance’s seat, triggering next year’s special election, Husted served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor.

Previously, Husted has also served as Ohio’s secretary of state, a state representative (which included time as speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives), and a state senator.

The Daily Signal reached out to the Brown campaign but did not receive comment.

The post Husted Officially Files for Race That Could Determine Control of the Senate appeared first on The Daily Signal.