2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio

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2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio
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Party Republican Democratic
Incumbent U.S. senator

Jon Husted [a]
Republican



The 2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio will be held on November 3, 2026, following the election of Senator JD Vance as vice president of the United States, as he resigned from the Senate on January 10, 2025, and assumed the vice presidency on January 20, 2025.

Contents

According to Ohio law, if a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor appoints a replacement who serves until December 15 following the next regularly scheduled statewide election that occurs more than 180 days after the vacancy. A special election to fill the remainder of the term is then held concurrently with that regular state election, which in this case would be the one on November 3, 2026. [2] [3] Governor Mike DeWine chose then-Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted to replace Vance in the Senate.

This will be the first U.S. Senate special election in Ohio since the one to this seat in 1954.

Background

After voting for President Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, Ohio has trended increasingly Republican in subsequent years and is now considered a moderately to strongly red state at the federal and state level. Republicans control all statewide offices, majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, and hold both Senate seats. Republicans also have a majority of the state's House delegation with ten seats compared to five for Democrats.[ citation needed ]

Republican nominee Donald Trump won Ohio in 2016 and 2020 by 8 percentage points, and in 2024 grew his margin to 11 percentage points. [4] Additionally, Republican JD Vance, now the vice president of the United States, defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in the 2022 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 6 points, while Republican Bernie Moreno defeated then-incumbent Sherrod Brown in the 2024 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 3.5 points. [5]

Interim appointment

Appointee

Considered but not appointed

Declined to be considered

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Endorsements

Jon Husted

Executive Branch officials

U.S. senators

Organizations

Labor unions
  • Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council [16]

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2025
CandidateRaisedSpentCash on hand
Jon Husted (R)$3,065,596$415,132$2,650,464
Source: Federal Election Commission [17]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Endorsements

Sherrod Brown
U.S. senators
Labor unions
Organizations

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Inside Elections [27] Lean RAugust 12, 2025
The Cook Political Report [28] Lean RAugust 18, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball [29] [30] Lean RAugust 12, 2025
Race To The WH [31] Tilt RSeptember 4, 2025

Polling

Jon Husted vs. Sherrod Brown

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Jon
Husted (R)		Sherrod
Brown (D)		OtherUndecided
Emerson College [32] August 18–19, 20251,000 (RV)± 3%50%44%–7%
Bowling Green State University/YouGov [33] April 18–24, 2025800 (RV)± 4.1%49%46%5% [c] –
Bowling Green State University/YouGov [34] February 14–21, 2025800 (RV)± 4.0%47%41%–12%
Hypothetical polling

Jon Husted vs. Tim Ryan

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Jon
Husted (R)		Tim
Ryan (D)		OtherUndecided
Bowling Green State University/YouGov [33] April 18–24, 2025800 (RV)± 4.1%50%44%6% [d] –
Bowling Green State University/YouGov [34] February 14–21, 2025800 (RV)± 4.0%45%38%–17%

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ JD Vance was elected vice president of the United States in the 2024 presidential election. He resigned his Senate seat on January 10, 2025. [1] Governor Mike DeWine appointed Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted as an interim successor.
  2. 1 2 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  3. ↑ "Someone else" with 5%
  4. ↑ "Someone else" with 6%

References

  1. ↑ Fahmy, Natalie; Rees, David (January 9, 2025). "Sen. J.D. Vance resigns ahead of vice presidential inauguration". WCMH-TV . Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  2. ↑ Burd, Aaron (July 16, 2024). "How J.D. Vance's replacement in U.S. Senate will be picked if he becomes vice president". WCMH-TV .
  3. ↑ "Filling vacancies in elective offices" (PDF). Ohio Secretary of State. p. 2. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ Schladen, Marty (November 6, 2024). "Trump wins Ohio for a third time". Ohio Capital Journal . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  5. ↑ Evans, Nick (November 6, 2024). "Republican Bernie Moreno defeats incumbent Sherrod Brown for Ohio U.S. Senate seat • Ohio Capital Journal". Ohio Capital Journal . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  6. ↑ Wren, Adam; Cai, Sophia (January 17, 2025). "DeWine passes over Ramaswamy, selects Jon Husted for Senate". Politico . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Staver, Anna (November 11, 2024). "Ohio Republican Sen. Matt Dolan seeking appointment to fill vacancy left by VP-elect JD Vance". WOSU-TV . Retrieved January 21, 2025. Other names reportedly on DeWine's list include Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
  8. ↑ Trau, Morgan (July 24, 2024). "Here's what qualities Gov. Mike DeWine wants to see in his possible U.S. Senate appointment". Ohio Capital Journal . Retrieved December 29, 2024. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine chuckled as he denied interest in appointing himself to the open Senate seat
  9. ↑ Kronenberg, Alan (September 5, 2024). "Who Would Take Over for JD Vance or Tim Walz, and Does it Matter?". U.S. News & World Report . Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ Andrews, Melissa (December 4, 2024). "Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says he will run for Governor". WTOL . Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ Smyth, Julie Carr (April 9, 2025). "Trump favorite Jon Husted launches 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio". Associated Press . Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  12. ↑ Taylor, Lydia (April 9, 2025). "Trump endorses Husted for 2026 Senate race". Spectrum News . Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  13. ↑ Downs, Rebecca (August 20, 2025). "Wyoming GOP Senator Hails Ohio's Husted, Blasts Democrat Seeking Comeback as 'a Failure'". The Daily Signal . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Ohio Republican Party endorses Husted". The Highland County Press. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  15. ↑ Gomez, Henry J.; Dixon, Matt (July 21, 2025). "Vance's and Marco Rubio's Senate successors avoid GOP primary drama". NBC News . Retrieved July 21, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Northwest Ohio trades council endorses Husted for Senate". The Blade . Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  17. ↑ "2026 Election United States Senate – Ohio". fec.gov. Federal Election Commission . Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  18. 1 2 3 Carr Smyth, Julie (August 18, 2025). "Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown makes it official. He'll vie to unseat Trump-backed Sen. Jon Husted". Associated Press . Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Millard, Katie (June 25, 2025). "Two Democrats enter Ohio's 2026 Senate race". WCMH-TV . Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  20. ↑ Pelzer, Jeremy (August 14, 2025). "Political newcomer aims to spend millions to beat Sherrod Brown in Ohio's Democratic U.S. Senate primary". The Plain Dealer . Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  21. 1 2 Solender, Andrew (December 12, 2024). "GOP Rep. Ciscomani passes on run for Arizona governor". Axios . Retrieved December 12, 2024. Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) and Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) won't run for Vice President-elect JD Vance's Senate seat, according to Sykes' office and a statement from Brown.
  22. ↑ Solender, Andrew (April 10, 2025). "A growing wave of House members is grasping for higher office". Axios . Retrieved April 15, 2025. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), previously floated as a potential challenger to Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), told Axios he is 'staying put' in the House.
  23. ↑ Roarty, Alex (April 29, 2025). "Democrats' Senate Majority Hopes Hinge on Candidates Who Are Still Undecided". NOTUS . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  24. ↑ Skolnick, David (June 20, 2025). "Ohio Dems in holding pattern". Tribune Chronicle . Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  25. ↑ Skolnick, David (August 19, 2025). "Sherrod Brown to challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Husted". The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  26. ↑ "🚨Key Endorsements for 2025 & 2026🚨". Jewish Democratic Council of America. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  28. ↑ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  29. ↑ "2026 Senate ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  30. ↑ "2026 Rating Changes". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  31. ↑ "2026 Senate Forecast". Race to the WH. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  32. ↑ "Ohio 2026 Poll: Senator Husted Starts Matchup with Six-point Lead Over Sherrod Brown". Emerson College Polling. August 21, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  33. 1 2 Alexander, Robert; Miller, Melissa; Jackson, David; Boston, Joshua (April 29, 2025). "Survey of 800 Ohio Registered voters 18+, April 2025 Toplines". Bowling Green State University. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  34. 1 2 Alexander, Robert; Miller, Melissa; Jackson, David; Boston, Joshua (March 5, 2024). "Survey of 800 Ohio Registered voters 18+, Feb 2025 Toplines". Bowling Green State University. Retrieved March 9, 2025.

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