Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown leads Republican Senator Jon Husted in the Ohio Senate race by eight points in a new Marist poll of registered voters, as half of the respondents say they strongly disapprove of President Donald Trump. Ohio backed Trump by double digits in 2024, but the state's special Senate election for the seat once held by Vice President JD Vance is shaping up to be a tight one and could play a role in which party controls the upper chamber. The poll results come as Trump is preparing to campaign for Husted in the campaign's closing stretch.
Brown is seeking a comeback after losing his Senate seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024. Ohio has shifted right after previously backing Brown and former President Barack Obama twice, before backing Moreno and Trump three times. And Republicans aren't just facing warning signs in the Senate race; they are also trailing in the state’s gubernatorial and congressional contests in the Marist poll, as Trump's approval rating continues to slide and voters express pessimism over the economy, the Iran war and personal finances.
Husted’s campaign told Newsweek that it did not comment on public polling. Newsweek also reached out to Brown’s campaign via email for comment on Tuesday morning. The new poll suggests that Trump's approval rating slide could be weighing down Republican candidates.
Brown is drawing strong support from independents, giving the former three-term senator a clear route back to Washington. Husted has served just under two years after being appointed to fill Vance's seat. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and Democrats need to defend all of their seats while flipping four GOP seats to gain control of the chamber.
Brown receives 51 percent support in the Senate contest, compared with 43 percent for Husted, according to the poll. Marist interviewed 1,298 registered Ohio voters from September 24 to September 27. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
Respondents were contacted by telephone using live interviewers, by text or online. The poll's results give Brown his strongest recent position. His advantage among independents is especially important in a state where Republicans have built a dependable presidential coalition but where the former senator has previously demonstrated crossover appeal.
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