Former Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s best-known Democrat, is expected to launch a Senate bid next year, giving Democrats a needed boost as they try to win control of the chamber.
Brown lost his race for a fourth term last year. The 72-year-old has not yet made a formal announcement but sources familiar with his plans confirmed he plans to run. An announcement could be made as soon as this Friday.
Cleveland.com was the first to report Brown’s plans to run next year.
Brown will challenge Jon Husted, a former Ohio lieutenant governor, state senator and secretary of state who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Democrats face an uphill to take control of the Senate, looking to net four Republican seats. They have two targets in targets in North Carolina and Maine, but they would also have to flip two GOP-held seats in states Trump won by double digits last year.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has traveled to Ohio in recent months, which was first reported by Axios.
Democrats view Brown, a three-term former senator, as among their most formidable candidates despite his 2024 re-election loss to Republican Bernie Moreno.
Husted was appointed to succeed then-Sen. JD Vance after Vance won the 2024 election alongside Trump.
Republicans have failed to come up with good candidates to hold onto their slim majority. In Georgia, term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp passed on challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Trump’s endorsement has been a winning recipe for success in Senate bids by both Moreno and JD Vance before him.
It’s unclear how Brown’s usual electoral advantage in name recognition might play against Husted, who spent more than 20 years as a statewide officeholder and state lawmaker.
