Sherrod Brown, the former Senator from Ohio, has announced his intention to reclaim a seat in the U.S. Senate in the 2026 elections.
This comes after a contentious re-election campaign last year, which resulted in a loss to the current Senator, Bernie Moreno.
"Standing up for workers. Treating everyone with dignity and respect. Working as hard as possible for the people of Ohio. I've tried to live my life by those principles. But these days that's not what's happening in Washingtonso I'm running for Senate,"
Brown declared in a social media post, as reported by Fox News. His statement underscored his longstanding commitment to working-class and populist values.
Brown, who has served Ohio for over thirty years in both the House and Senate, was heavily courted by leading national Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made two visits to Ohio in an attempt to persuade Brown to run once more.
The seat Brown is vying for is currently occupied by Republican Senator Jon Husted, the former lieutenant governor of Ohio. Husted was appointed in January to fill the vacancy left by JD Vance, who resigned to serve as Vice President in President Donald Trump's administration. Husted, who enjoys Trump's endorsement, will be running next year to complete the remaining two years of Vance's six-year term.
"I didnt plan to run for office again, but when I see whats going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio," Brown stated in his campaign launch video. "Thats why Im running for Senate. Because even in these challenging times, I still believe if you stand up for workers, treat people with respect and always fight for Ohio, you can actually make a difference," he further elaborated.
However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has criticized Brown, labeling him a "liberal sell-out" and highlighting his defeat in the previous year's election. "Ohioans just rejected Sherrod Brown's radical agenda of allowing biological men to compete in women's sports, fueling mass illegal immigration, and failing to protect Ohio's good-paying manufacturing jobs," claimed NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia.
Alex Latcham, executive director of the Senate Leadership Fund, a leading super PAC supporting Senate Republicans, accused Brown of exploiting Ohio families to further his career while endorsing the radical left's agenda. He stated, "Brown built his disgraceful career on the backs of hardworking Ohio families while he supported the woke Lefts agenda, including amnesty for criminal illegal immigrants, men in girls locker rooms, and sticking seniors with higher taxes. Ohioans gladly sent him packing last year, and theyll not hesitate to toss him aside again."
Ohio, once a critical battleground state in general elections, has increasingly leaned Republican over the past decade. Trump won the state by 11 points over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. However, Brown performed better than the top of the ticket, losing to Moreno by less than four points.
Brown's candidacy is the second major recruitment for Senate Democrats this year as they strive to regain control of the Senate next year. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 majority in the Senate. The announcement of Brown's candidacy follows that of former two-term Democratic Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina, who declared his intention to run in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.
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