The 2026 Ohio Senate election between incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) and former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has become focused on the development of technology data centers within the state. According to a Fox News survey, Brown led Husted 53 percent to 45 percent, while election analysts have categorized the race as a toss-up.
Husted was appointed to the Senate in 2025 to fill the seat vacated by then-Senator, now-Vice President J.D. Vance. Brown, who previously served as a U.S. Senator, is seeking to return to the chamber after losing his seat in 2024. The outcome of the race is considered a factor in determining which party controls the Senate majority.
Brown’s campaign has released three advertisements criticizing Husted’s past support for tax breaks provided to data center developers during his tenure as Ohio’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2025. At a July campaign rally, Brown said Husted provided "sweetheart tax deals" and claimed that Ohio residents now pay thousands more on their utility bills as a result.
Husted’s campaign has defended his record by highlighting his support for policies requiring developers to pay for their utility usage. In July 2026, Husted introduced federal legislation that would establish a national standard requiring data center developers to cover their own utility costs and return any unused power to the grid.
For residents, the concrete change involves their monthly electricity bills and the future allocation of state tax revenue. If Brown’s platform prevails, it could lead to the reduction or elimination of the tax breaks Husted supported between 2019 and 2025. Conversely, Husted’s proposed federal legislation seeks to address the issue through new national requirements for developers to pay for power and return unused capacity, which would establish a new regulatory precedent for how technology companies interact with the energy grid.
The regional impact extends beyond Ohio; in Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) recently signed an executive order requiring developers to pay for all electricity costs associated with data centers. The Ohio race serves as a test case for how voters respond to the rapid expansion of energy-intensive AI infrastructure. The contest will be decided on Election Day in November 2026, which will determine if Husted remains in the seat or if Brown returns to the Senate.