NEW: Ex-Democrat Senator Eyes Comeback Bid

Sherrod Brown is getting ready to announce a bid to return to the U.S. Senate in next year’s midterm elections, according to a number of Ohio labor leaders who spoke with Cleveland.com.

Brown, a Democrat, was ousted by current Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) a sizable margin this past November. First elected in 2006, Brown served three terms in the Senate and was polling ahead of his opponent throughout much of the campaign cycle.

The result was less surprising given Ohio’s sharp trend to the right over the past decade, however. While once viewed as a swing state, Ohio is now largely viewed as a red state.

Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and face a largely favorable map in their quest to hold the upper chamber in 2026. Brown jumping in the race could certainly make Ohio’s race more competitive than it currently stands, however.

The seat — which formerly belonged to Vice President J.D. Vance — is currently held by Jon Husted, who was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine after previously serving as the state’s lieutenant governor. The winner of the November 2026 special election would serve the remainder of Vance’s Senate term, which ends in 2029.

Both Brown and Husted would be favored to win their respective parties’ primary races next year.

Prior to his 2024 defeat, Brown won a number of tightly contested races even as the state trended rightward. He ousted DeWine from the Senate in 2006 and fended off Republican challenges in 2012 and 2018. All three of Brown’s Senate wins were recorded in years that were heavily favorable for Democrats, which could be the case in 2026 given general midterm election trends.

Brown lost in 2024 by 3.6 percentage points, out-running Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost Ohio by 11.2.

In order to regain control of the Senate, Democrats will need to pick up four seats, a tall order given the current map. Razor close races are expected in Michigan, Georgia, Maine, New Hampshire and North Carolina.