Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is exploring a comeback run for the United States Senate in 2026, giving Democrats new reason for optimism in what has become one of their toughest battlegrounds.
Brown, who lost reelection in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno, is now interviewing campaign managers ahead of a possible bid to reclaim his old seat in a 2026 special election, according to Axios. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who visited Ohio twice in recent months to encourage Brown to run, is among those urging him to get back in the race.
The special election is being held to fill the remainder of J.D. Vance’s term after he resigned in early 2025 to become vice president. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill the seat temporarily, and Husted is expected to run for a full term next year. The winner of the special election would serve through 2028, when the seat will be up again in a presidential election year.
Should Brown enter the race, he would bring near-universal name recognition, a well-established donor network, and a pro-worker message that has long appealed across party lines. In 2024, he lost to Moreno by just 3.6 points, outperforming President Donald Trump’s margin in the state by more than 7 points.
“There’s no better retail politician in Ohio than Sen. Brown,” said Democratic strategist Jeff Rusnak, who worked on Brown’s early campaigns. “He knows the state inside and out. He’s been a fighter for working-class voters, and they know him well and respect him.”
Rusnak said Brown gives Democrats their best chance to flip the seat, adding that the minute he announces, he can raise significant funds and consolidate support quickly.
Republicans acknowledge Brown would be a formidable opponent but argue the political environment still favors their party.
“Sherrod Brown is the best possible candidate [Democrats] could get to have a chance at taking back that Senate seat,” said Matt Dole, a Republican strategist in Ohio. “But he comes as damaged goods. He lost the race two years ago. And I think Jon Husted is an incredibly formidable candidate.”
Husted, a former House speaker and secretary of state, has long been viewed as a steady hand in Ohio Republican politics. While he has not faced a federal race before, GOP operatives say his record on economic development and political experience position him well for the role.
But Democrats say Husted’s record opens him up to scrutiny. Rusnak pointed to his ties to the state’s largest public corruption case, the House Bill 6 scandal, a $60 million bribery scheme involving energy giant FirstEnergy and top state officials. While Husted was never charged, he was identified as “Person of Interest #2” in the federal investigation, raising questions about his proximity to the scandal’s key players.
Republicans, for their part, focused heavily on transgender politics in the 2024 race against Brown, alleging he was outside the mainstream on the topic. The attacks became so persistent that national Democrats released an ad clarifying that Brown views transgender participation in sports as a decision for individual leagues, not the government.
In the meantime, Brown has kept a public profile focused on policy rather than campaigning. Earlier this spring, he launched the Dignity of Work Institute, a nonpartisan think tank based in Columbus that conducts polling and research on labor issues.
“This isn’t a plaything, this isn’t a launch for higher office,” Brown said at the time. “I’m serious about this. I always have been on these issues.”
Still, strategists on both sides believe the groundwork Brown is laying points to a likely Senate run. The former senator has also considered running for governor.
“I think the math makes more sense for him in a Senate race,” Dole said, noting that Ohio’s midterm electorate typically leans more Republican than in presidential years, but that a nationalized race could help Brown stay competitive. “If the race becomes a referendum on Donald Trump or the Republican agenda, that’s the best shot he has.”
Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the nonpartisan election handicapper from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, recently moved the race from “likely Republican” to “leans Republican,” citing the potential for Brown’s entry and the state’s shifting political dynamics. Other national forecasters are closely watching the contest as well.
A final decision is expected sometime this summer. Multiple operatives speculated that Brown has commissioned internal polling and is waiting to see the numbers before moving forward. Democrats say the pressure is mounting.
“Senator Brown has the right of first refusal here,” Rusnak said. “If he decides to go, people will quickly rally around him.”
SHERROD BROWN LAUNCHES PRO-WORKER ORGANIZATION AMID RUMORS OF ANOTHER RUN
If Brown enters the race and wins in 2026, he would need to run again in 2028 to secure a full six-year term, yet another high-stakes contest in a state where Republicans remain firmly in control. But for now, even the possibility of his return is giving Democrats something they haven’t had in Ohio in years: a path forward.
“I think 2026 will show that Ohio will be much more competitive than it has been in recent election cycles,” Rusnak said.
If Brown enters the race, he could provide Democrats with one of their clearest pickup opportunities. Democrats must net four seats to regain control of the chamber, making Ohio a pivotal battleground.