Sherrod Brown flips Senate seat in Ohio for Democrats by ousting Sen. Jon Husted

Since Tuesday was technically a special election in Ohio, Brown now serves out the final two years of the Senate term won by JD Vance in 2022. Husted — a former lieutenant governor, secretary of state and state House speaker — was appointed to replace Vance when he ascended to the vice presidency last year.

Brown’s victory could reshape Democrats’ perspective headed forward on Ohio, which many had largely written off as out of reach. The state’s electorate had swung strongly toward Republicans in the decade since Trump entered the political arena, prompting analysts to declare an end to the state’s traditional bellwether status.

But the president’s tariffs, trade war with Canada and the war with Iran that sent fuel prices soaring gave Brown, 73, a fresh opening with rural and working-class voters.

Trump stumped for Husted without success

The landscape this year was significantly different than it was two years ago, when Brown lost to Moreno in a bitter campaign where spending topped $500 million.

For one thing, Trump was not on the ballot to drive Republican turnout, and the president’s low approval ratings complicated the impact of his once-coveted endorsements for candidates such as Husted. The president and vice president — with an advertising boost from technology companies — pressed a positive message on artificial intelligence data centers during their multiple rallies for Husted, keen on reversing one of his key vulnerabilities. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough.

This was Ohio’s third U.S. Senate race in as many election cycles, with another coming in two years, and it also notably featured no political newcomer. Running as an “outsider” with Trump’s endorsement had worked as a winning formula for both Moreno and Vance.

Instead, both Brown and Husted had long records in public office that the other could exploit. Husted, 59, has never been accused of any crime associated with the $60 million bribery scandal involving FirstEnergy, but he had been called to testify in the criminal trial of two former executives — footage Brown and his allies used to blanket the airwaves.

Husted also donated all the donations from Wexner left in his political accounts to an anti-sex trafficking charity, but the fact he received them was used by Brown to jab at a vulnerability for Republicans over their votes on releasing the Epstein files.

Meanwhile, to highlight Brown’s many years in Washington, Husted ran one ad noting that he was a 7-year-old playing pee wee football when Brown first went to Congress. Another cited Brown’s vote in favor of the bank bailout of 2008, nearly two decades ago, to paint him as beholden to Wall Street.

Brown’s longevity in politics did come with a key upside: strong name recognition. He didn’t have to work to identify himself to voters as Husted had to do, airing a variety of positive biographical ads.

Julie Carr Smyth, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Sherrod Brown flips Senate seat in Ohio for Democrats by ousting Sen. Jon Husted

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