Democratic former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted on Tuesday to win back a seat in the U.S. Senate. The Associated Press called the race for Brown, who returns to the chamber two years after losing his 2024 reelection bid. According to an AP estimate with 87% of the votes counted, Brown received 48.6% of the vote (2,017,362 votes) to Husted’s 46.5% (1,928,646 votes).
Husted was appointed to the seat in January 2023 by Gov. Mike DeWine after JD Vance resigned to become vice president. Brown previously served three terms in the Senate before being defeated by Bernie Moreno in 2024. This contest was to fill the remainder of the term originally won by Vance in 2022, meaning the seat will be up for election again in 2028.
The campaign focused on economic and infrastructure issues. Brown called Husted "the face of data centers" in Ohio, criticizing his involvement in data center development deals during his time as lieutenant governor. Husted, who also served as Ohio's secretary of state and speaker of the Ohio House, was described in a leaked National Republican Senatorial Committee memo as being hindered by the data center issue. Other campaign topics included health care costs, energy prices, and the war in Iran.
For Ohio voters, the result reflects a focus on localized economic concerns such as AI data center expansion and energy costs, which Brown emphasized throughout the campaign. The outcome also has immediate implications for the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats are seeking to gain control. The loss of an incumbent Republican in a state Trump won by double digits in 2024 suggests shifting political dynamics that could influence legislative priorities regarding data center regulation and federal health care spending.
Brown is now one of only seven former U.S. senators since 1946 to return to the chamber after losing a seat. Because he is completing an unexpired term, he will face another election in 2028. Husted will continue to serve until the new term begins; the specific date for the transition was not reported. The final vote tally will be certified by state officials following the completion of the tabulation process.