“High stakes,” “expensive” and “closely watched” are superlatives being thrown about for Ohio’s 2026 U.S. Senate race involving Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted. And the more than $119 million from outside groups advertising in this November election battle only adds to the hype.
The election features two well-known Ohio political figures. Brown, a Democrat, has spent more than 50 years in government and is trying to return to the U.S. Senate for a fourth term. Husted, a Republican, is a 25-year political veteran who served six years as Ohio Lieutenant Governor before being appointed to the U.S. Senate 19 months ago.
One of 35 U.S. Senate seats to be decided this year, Ohio’s Brown-Husted race is one of two special elections being held in November. Ohio’s special election is needed to fill the final two years of J.D. Vance’s seat, which he won in 2022 but vacated when he began serving as U.S. Vice President. Husted was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the vacant Senate seat in January 2025.
Along with being the state’s first special election for a U.S. Senate seat in 50 years, Ohio’s November 3rd election is being closely watched nationally. Heading into fall’s mid-terms, 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats and Independents are serving in the Senate. If Republicans maintain or increase its Senate majority, the Trump Administration’s priorities would likely move smoother over the next two years. However, if the Democrats win Senate majority by gaining four seats, it could shift legislative power in the 119th U.S. Congress.
The winner of the Brown-Husted election will join fellow Ohioan Bernie Moreno in the U.S. Senate.
Let’s learn more about the candidates in the 2026 election for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat:
Sherrod Brown
In his more than 50 years in government, Brown, 73, has served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Secretary of State, the U.S. House of Representatives and most recently the U.S. Senate.
The Mansfield native, now a resident of Cleveland, is vying for a return to Capitol Hill, where he has built a reputation as a vocal advocate of labor and education.
A Yale University graduate, Brown received his bachelor’s degree in Russian studies in 1974 and later earned master’s degrees in public administration and education from The Ohio State University.
He began his political career in 1974 when he became the youngest person – at the time – to be elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. Brown served in the Ohio House for four terms (1975-82) before winning a statewide election – and reelection – for Ohio Secretary of State, a position he filled for two terms (1983-1990).
His more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Congress began in 1993. From 1993-2006, Brown represented Ohio’s 13th congressional district. He began serving in the U.S. Senate in 2007, having defeated incumbent Mike DeWine, and has served three terms in the Upper Chamber.
Brown was defeated in his 2024 U.S. Senate bid by Bernie Moreno and announced another run for a fourth Senate term in August 2025. He earned his spot in November’s election by garnering nearly nine of 10 votes (89.4%) in the May 25 Special Democratic Primary against Ron Kincaid.
Brown and his wife of 22 years Connie Schultz, a columnist and author, are parents of three daughters and a son and grandparents to eight grandchildren.
Jon Husted
In his 25 years of political service, Husted has served in Ohio’s House and Senate, served as Ohio Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor and the U.S. Senate.
Born in Royal Oak, Mich., Husted moved to Ohio at a young age with his foster family and grew up in Montpelier. He left northwest Ohio to attend the University of Dayton, where in 1989 he earned a bachelor’s degree in education and later a master’s degree in communications.
Prior to beginning his political career, Husted, 59, served as the Vice President for Economic Development with the Dayton-Area Chamber of Commerce. He began the first of four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2001 and served as Speaker of the House from 2005-2009. During his one term in the Ohio Senate, Husted won the first of two state-wide elections for Secretary of State, which he served from 2011-2019.
Husted joined the state’s gubernatorial ticket as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2019 and served the next six years with Gov. Mike DeWine before being appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2025. Husted was appointed by Gov. DeWine to fill the Senate seat that opened once J.D. Vance became Vice President.
Throughout his tenure in state and federal government, Husted’s focus has been on tax relief, workforce development and public safety. Currently, Sen. Husted serves on the 119th Congress’ Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, the Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Committee on Environment & Public Works and the Special Committee on Aging.
Husted resides in Columbus with his wife of 20 years, Tina, who is a real estate professional. The couple has three children and one grandchild.
OCA Candidate Question & Answer
In their preparation for the November 3rd election, both candidates participated in a Question & Answer session with OCA:
Ohio Contractors Association: What are the top transportation priorities you believe should be addressed in Ohio over the next six years?
Sherrod Brown: “Currently, there are thousands of projects in Ohio funded from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, like construction of the new Brent Spence Bridge, that are improving our highways, roads and transit infrastructure. These projects are making a difference in Ohioans’ lives while ensuring our state remains economically competitive. I will continue working with OCA to advance infrastructure legislation in the Senate and ensure transportation projects are funded for Ohio communities.”
Jon Husted: “As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, I am working with my colleagues to negotiate a 5-year reauthorization of surface transportation programs, which are critically important to infrastructure and transportation projects across Ohio.
“Another priority over the next six years is efficiently delivering road infrastructure projects, which means tackling our permitting challenges at the federal level. At EPW, I am working with my colleagues on permitting legislation that ensures agencies are held accountable to timelines, so taxpayer dollars actually turn into completed projects rather than years of logjam. This includes making sure that permitting for major projects with a federal nexus, like the Brent Spence Bridge, are executed in a timely manner.”
Ohio Contractors Association: What is the federal government’s role in planning, building and maintaining transportation infrastructure?
Husted: “The federal government should partner with states on federal highways and larger infrastructure projects, but not micromanage local project decisions. The federal government should also be focused on reforming its permitting process, which often increases the amount of time for states and localities to complete projects. As Ohioans, we know how efficient ODOT is, and that is because state DOTs know their planning, infrastructure and maintenance needs best. Thoughtful federal permitting reform policies should reflect this.”
Brown: “The federal government plays a critical role in making sure that our infrastructure is up to date, functional and safe for all Ohioans. That’s why we passed the Bridge Investment Act as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help repair our roads, rebuild our bridges and maintain the infrastructure that Ohioans depend on every day. I’ll continue fighting to ensure that Ohio gets its fair share of investment and Ohio workers continue benefitting from this law and others like it.”
Ohio Contractors Association: The way the nation currently funds transportation improvements and maintenance continues to be debated. The federal highway trust fund must now be supplemented with General Revenue Fund transfers, thereby increasing the deficit. What mechanism(s) do you support for ensuring our transportation infrastructure is properly funded?
Brown: “For decades, the Highway Trust Fund has helped fund our nation’s highway infrastructure. We must continue to ensure there is dedicated and stable funding for the Highway Trust Fund to finance transportation improvements and maintenance.”
State and federal prevailing wage laws help ensure that hard work pays off for workers and that workers are paid fairly for their time.
Sherrod Brown
Husted: “The Highway Trust Fund’s structural need for General Revenue Fund transfers year after year is unsustainable in its current form and adds to the deficit.
“Our roads should be supported by the communities and drivers who use them. Currently, EV owners do not pay into the federal Highway Trust Fund, which is unfair to other drivers on the road. Thirty-nine states have already enacted annual user fees for electric and/or hybrid vehicles; this includes Ohio, which charges annual fees of $200 for EVs and $100 for hybrids. The federal government should follow suit to prevent continued General Revenue Fund transfers.”
Ohio Contractors Association: Should user fees such as the motor fuel excise tax, port and waterway fees and airline passenger ticket fees be “firewalled” and protected exclusively for infrastructure maintenance and improvements in the mode in which they were funded?
Husted: “Yes, user fees like the motor fuel excise tax, port and waterway fees and airline ticket fees should stay dedicated to the infrastructure they’re collected to support.
“This is an issue that Senate EPW is tackling with Surface Transportation Reauthorization to ensure Federal Highway Trust dollars are used for Federal highway projects. Diverting funds erodes public trust that the fee is actually funding what it says it’s funding.”
Brown: “We have a lot of firewalls around the existing revenue sources that support our transportation trust funds. Going forward, we are going to need to look at a range of options to ensure our nation’s infrastructure will once again lead the world.”
Ohio Contractors Association: There were more than 6,000 traffic fatalities on Ohio roadways during 2021-2025. Of that amount, 117 deaths occurred in work zones. Two of those fatalities included highway workers. What steps would you support at the federal level to improve roadway safety for motorists and highway workers?
Brown: “Too many Ohioans know the pain of losing a loved one to a traffic incident. The number of road-related fatalities nationally has not trended in the right direction and that must change. We must use all available strategies to prevent future accidents and avoid tragic fatalities on Ohio’s roadways.”
Our ability to build, compete, and lead depends on a faster and more predictable permitting system.
Jon Husted
Husted: “One of my biggest priorities for transportation projects across Ohio and the country is safety. I’ve supported critical infrastructure projects across Ohio that improve and protect the lives of my constituents.
“This has included recently securing $40 million in federal funding for the City of Fairfield’s Symmes Road Grade Separation project in Butler County. This project would eliminate two at-grade railroad crossings on Symmes Road and North Gilmore Road, constructing an overpass to separate vehicular traffic from a major rail corridor used by CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Amtrak. This corridor sees nearly 50 trains daily.”
Ohio Contractors Association: Do you support state and federal prevailing wage laws for public improvements such as road and bridge construction?
Husted: “I support laws that protect good-paying jobs for all Ohioans, especially those building our bridges and roads. I also support ensuring that those good-paying jobs go to Ohioans. Ohio wins when we have a skilled, trained workforce to meet the growing demand that projects like Intel and Honda have brought. In the U.S. Senate, I’ve made growing Career Tech Education and Apprenticeships a top priority, so Ohio has the workforce ready to keep building.”
Brown: “Yes. State and federal prevailing wage laws help ensure that hard work pays off for workers and that workers are paid fairly for their time.”
Ohio Contractors Association: The federal government encourages project labor agreements (PLA) on large public improvements. What are your thoughts on the use of PLAs?
Brown: “I support all efforts, including Project Labor Agreements, that ensure strong wages, good job training, support for high road employers and safe workplaces so that workers can do their jobs safely and complete projects on time and on budget.”
Husted: “Federal construction investments should provide safe, good-paying jobs for Ohioans that come in on time and on budget. I work consistently with the USDOT to ensure that PLAs submitted by state and local governments are executed in a timely manner to provide predictability for local governments and contractors alike. Federal law should reflect that while also protecting a competitive bidding process to best serve taxpayers and best utilize tax dollars.”
Ohio Contractors Association: What are your thoughts on environmental mitigation as it relates to the needs and costs of constructing, operating and maintaining our nation’s transportation systems?
Husted: “Environmental reviews are important parts of project delivery, however, the federal process in itself has become a major driver of cost and delays. It is important that state DOTs are able to take over certain federal permitting responsibilities.
“This is why I introduced the Water Authority and Timely Environmental Review (WATER) Act earlier this Congress, which would allow state transportation departments to assume U.S. Army Corps and U.S. EPA responsibilities under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. This would streamline the permitting process for highway, rail and other transportation projects within Ohio.
“Environmental Impact Statements for federal highway projects have averaged over seven years, and the average length for these statements is over 1,000 pages. Our ability to build, compete, and lead depends on a faster and more predictable permitting system.”
Brown: “It’s important that we protect the environment as we update Ohio’s infrastructure. At the same time, we must ensure environmental regulations do not complicate procedures, drive up costs, or cause delays on critical projects.”
Ohio Contractors Association: Data centers are a major job producer for the construction industry as well as being a necessary component of national security and virtual communication capabilities. What conditions, if any, should be required for the continued creation of these critically needed facilities?
Brown: “Big corporations treat Ohio’s electric grid like a game – gobbling up energy to feed their data centers. I’ll require the data centers to pay the full cost of electricity so that Ohioans don’t foot the bill. I’ll also fight to rein in out-of-control tax breaks that put billionaires before hardworking families. Ohioans should get to decide if data centers are built in their community instead of out-of-state investors and billionaires.”
Husted: “The growth of data centers cannot come at the expense of Ohio families and small businesses, and siting and zoning should stay with states and local communities, not a federal mandate.
“That is why I introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require states to consider establishing standards for states and Public Utility Commissions when connecting large electricity users like data centers to the grid. This ensures that these users are able to cover the cost of the power generation, transmission and grid infrastructure needed to serve them, rather than potentially shifting costs onto Ohio families and small businesses.
“The companion bill has passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously, and I’ve been working with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to get it across the finish line.
“In March of this year, I joined a roundtable at the White House promoting the Ratepayer Protection Pledge to have companies commit to building, buying, or bringing their own power for new data centers.
“My bill would ensure that the ratepayer protection pledge becomes law, so that states would require data centers to pay for their own electricity regardless of who holds federal office.”