Poll on Ohio Races Is Already Out, and GOP Has Momentum

Democrat Party hopes for retaking the Senate in next year’s midterms may come down to former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, taking one of the Ohio Senate seats, but the momentum remains with his Republican opponent, Sen. Jon Husted.

Earlier this week, Brown made it official that he was seeking a comeback bid after losing last year to now Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno. This time he’ll run against Husted, who was appointed to replace now Vice President JD Vance.

On Friday, just days after Brown’s announcement, Emerson College released a poll on the U.S. Senate race as well as the gubernatorial race, so far between Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Both races favor the GOP.

If the election were held today, 50% of Ohio voters would support Husted, while 44% would support Brown according to the poll. Seven percent are unsure. This comes despite how Brown has higher name recognition and favorable numbers than the current senator. While 14% of respondents were unsure how they felt about Brown or had never heard of him, that number is 39% for Husted.

Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, is quoted as referencing these findings, as well as with which demographic each candidate is favored with.

“In the first public poll following Sherrod Brown’s 2026 campaign kickoff, the former senator trails the incumbent Jon Husted by six points, though he has a higher name recognition than the first-term Senator,” Kimball said. “Husted has a 16-point lead among male voters and voters without a college degree, and a 14-point lead among voters over 40. Brown has a 13-point lead among voters under 40, a three-point lead among women voters, and an eight-point lead among independent voters.”

It’s worth noting that Brown’s 3% lead with women is the margin of error for the 1,000 respondents. The poll was conducted Aug. 18-19, starting on the day that Brown officially kicked off his bid.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Ohio Republican Party quickly celebrated the poll over on X.

The Ohio Republican Party’s pinned post is currently a quoted repost of the NRSC.

POLITICO’s reporting on the poll also highlighted how Democrats are not exactly starting off in the best place.

“A victory for Brown would be a welcome boost for Democrats, as they mount a long-shot battle to retake the Senate in 2026. But Friday’s poll demonstrates the tough odds the longtime Democratic elected official faces in an increasingly red state,” the report mentioned.

The gubernatorial poll surveyed a race not only between Ramaswamy and Acton, but also Ramaswamy and former Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who has not made any formal decision. Brown’s entrance into the Senate race, has sparked further chatter other Democrats running for governor.

Acton currently earns 39% support against Ramaswamy’s 49%, while Ryan earns 41% support to Ramaswamy’s 49%.

Jai Chabria, a consultant for Ramaswamy, was also quick to express excitement over X and highlight the candidate’s momentum, with the Ohio Republican Party also continuing to stand by Ramaswamy.

The poll didn’t merely reference next year’s Senate and gubernatorial races, though. It also asked whether respondents had a favorable or unfavorable view of several Ohio figures, including Vance. With a 48-43% favorable/unfavorable rating, he’s the most popular figure.

Vance is also heavily favored when it comes to the Republican nomination for 2028, as 55% say they would support the vice president. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump cautioned that it’s early but confirmed that Vance could very well be the future leader of the Make America Great Again Movement and the Republican Party.

Beyond political races, the poll also asked respondents about current events. On redistricting, 41% of respondents believe that Ohio Congressional district lines are being drawn to favor Republicans. By 57-43%, Ohio voters believe that mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the state are a “good thing” versus “bad thing for the state.”

Voters are more evenly split, at 44-42%, when it comes to approving of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision to send the National Guard to Washington, D.C., which the governor announced last weekend and made clear was to heed the call from the Trump administration.

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