Democrat Sherrod Brown will win Ohio Senate race, CNN projects, 2 years after losing seat

By Lauren Fox

Democratic former Sen. Sherrod Brown will return to the US Senate after unseating Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, giving his party a major win in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate contests.

Brown’s victory marks a major political comeback in a state that has reliably favored Republicans over the last decade and in which Brown lost his reelection battle just two years ago to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno.

Because this was a special election to finish Vice President JD Vance’s term, Brown will replace Husted, who had been appointed to the seat, in December.

The former senator campaigned on a populist economic message and bringing costs down. He also made data centers, which have popped up across the state, a centerpiece of his platform, accusing Husted of being too welcoming to the development of the controversial infrastructure projects when he was lieutenant governor.

The race was among the most consequential Senate battles of the 2026 cycle and a top target for Democrats from the outset. It also was a major test for the party as it sought to wrestle back control of parts of the industrial Midwest that shifted toward the GOP in recent election cycles. Brown’s willingness to enter the race was seen as a huge victory for Democratic recruitment and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who pushed him to run.

The-CNN-Wire
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