Sherrod Brown launches Senate comeback bid

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) launched a comeback Senate bid against Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) on Monday, giving Democrats a boost in the Buckeye State. 

“I didn’t plan to run for office again, but when I see what’s going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio,” Brown said in his launch video.  

“That’s why I’m 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 added. 

Brown was expected to announce a campaign against Husted, who was appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to replace JD Vance after he became vice president. Brown most recently lost reelection in November against Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) by roughly three and a half points.

Brown, who served three terms in the Senate, stands to benefit from a midterm election cycle, when President Trump’s name will not be on the ballot and Republicans are likely to face the traditional headwinds associated with the sitting president’s party in midterm elections.

“No one fights harder for Ohio than Sherrod Brown. From securing Ohioans’ retirement and Social Security benefits to cracking down on fentanyl from China and Mexico, Sherrod will always do what’s right for Ohioans,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), chair of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, in a statement.

“In the Senate, Sherrod will stand up to the chaos, recklessness and rising prices hurting working families and make sure Ohioans have the champion they deserve,” they added.

At the same time, Brown’s Senate comeback bid will test whether the Ohio Democrat, who’s outperformed Democrats in the Buckeye State, will be able to overcome the state’s political leanings as it’s trended toward the GOP.

Senate Republicans expressed confidence that voters would reject Brown a second time ahead of 2026 and rolled out a new ad on Monday saying that the Ohio Democrat “fought for the far left, not Ohio” while in Washington, D.C.

"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," Nick Puglia, a spokesman for the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm. "If Brown wins his primary, we remain confident voters will reject him again in 2026."

— Updated at 8:19 a.m. EDT