A Wedgewood Polls survey released Saturday shows Democratic candidates Sherrod Brown and Amy Acton holding leads within the margin of error in Ohio's U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) leads Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) 48 percent to 44 percent in the contest for the U.S. Senate seat. In the race for governor, former state health director Amy Acton (D) leads Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 47 percent to 46 percent.
The survey of 800 likely voters, conducted between Aug. 11 and Aug. 13, carries a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The results come as Ohio prepares for an election cycle following the 2024 presidential race, which Donald Trump won by 11 percent in the state. The current Senate seat became available after Sen. J.D. Vance (R) vacated it to serve as Vice President, leading Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to appoint Husted to the position.
Financial reports from the first quarter of 2026 show significant fundraising differences between the campaigns. Brown reported raising $12.5 million compared to Husted’s $2.9 million. In the gubernatorial race, Ramaswamy injected $25 million of his personal funds into his campaign during the same period. Acton maintains support from 93 percent of 2024 Kamala Harris voters, while Ramaswamy holds 88 percent of 2024 Trump voters and leads among men and voters without a four-year college degree.
The financial scale of these races is substantial, with the two leading Republican and Democratic candidates across both races reporting more than $40 million in combined fundraising or self-funding in the first three months of 2026 alone. This averages to approximately $3.40 in campaign spending per Ohio resident just from these specific reported figures in a single quarter. Voters will notice these funds translated into sustained advertising campaigns as the candidates compete for the remaining undecided segments, which are twice as large in the Senate race as they are in the governor's race.
The polling data also highlights a demographic divide that will shape future campaign strategies. Ramaswamy currently holds a 6 percent lead over Acton among voters aged 45–64, while the gap for voters over 65 remains within the 4-point margin of error. As the general election approaches, candidates will likely focus on these narrow margins in a state the U.S. Census Bureau identifies as being in the top half of median ages nationally. The next major milestones for these races include upcoming reporting deadlines for the second quarter of 2026 and the general election in November.