Sherrod Brown to run for U.S. Senate against Jon Husted in 2026, reports say

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Democrat Sherrod Brown is mounting a return to the U.S. Senate after he was ousted by Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno last year.

Ending months of speculation, Brown is entering the race to face off against Republican Sen. Jon Husted in 2026, according to multiple reports on Tuesday citing sources close to the former senator. Brown's decision follows his loss to Moreno last November, which was one of the most expensive races in the nation in 2024.

With a majority in the chamber up for grabs, Moreno's win helped Republicans win back control. Watch a previous NBC4 report on Brown's 2024 loss in the video player above.

"Should Brown enter the race as Schumer's handpicked candidate he will be starting in the biggest hole of his political career. He has never faced a candidate like Jon Husted," said Tyson Shepard, spokesperson for Husted's campaign, in a statement to NBC4. "Brown's slogans will ring hollow as his coalition walks away, tired of the radical policies he’s forced to support to appease his coastal bosses in California and New York."

Ohio's former lieutenant governor, Husted was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Mike DeWine in January to fill the seat vacated by J.D. Vance in the wake of his election to the vice presidency. Husted, who was replaced by former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel as the state's second-in-command, is running to complete Vance's U.S. Senate term, which runs through 2028.

Brown was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 and survived two reelection campaigns before falling to Moreno. The former senator was also rumored to be eyeing Ohio's 2026 gubernatorial race where former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton stands as the lone Democrat while billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy is earning the Republican nomination after pushing out state Attorney General Dave Yost.

He announced in March the creation of the Dignity of Work Institute, his first major project since leaving Capitol Hill. At the time, the former senator said both Republicans and Democrats have ignored workers for years and failed to address issues like low wages, overtime and home ownership. He said he's hopeful this organization will make the issue a higher priority in Washington.