COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Sen. Sherrod Brown has claimed victory in the Ohio U.S. Senate Democratic primary race Tuesday, the Associated Press projects.
Brown defeated first-time candidate Ron Kincaid to secure the Democratic nomination.
"Ohioans know the system is rigged against them, and they know Jon Husted is making it worse," Brown said in a statement after his win Tuesday night. "Families are seeing more money going out the door, and not enough coming in. Hardworking Ohioans deserve a leader in the Senate who will cut taxes on working people, cap how much utility companies can increase electricity rates, make it illegal for drug companies to charge Americans more than other countries, and ban congressional stock trading."
A lifelong Ohioan born and raised in Mansfield, Brown began representing Ohio in the U.S. Senate in 2007. But after 17 years, he lost his seat to Trump-endorsed Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno in the 2024 election.
In August, the now-73-year-old announced he planned to run again in an attempt to reclaim his former seat.
"I didn’t plan to run for office again, but when I see what’s going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio," Brown said in his announcement. "That’s why I’m running for Senate. Because even in these challenging times, I still believe if you stand up for workers, treat people with respect and always fight for Ohio, you can actually make a difference."
Brown will now go up against the 58-year-old incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who faced no challengers in the Republican primary.
"Jon Husted is casting votes in Washington that make everything more expensive – from groceries to gas to diesel to health care. Ohio is ready to fight back and we’re going to hold Jon Husted accountable this November," Brown said following his win.
Following Brown's campaign announcement in August, Husted's campaign issued a statement.
"Sherrod Brown's recent announcement means Ohioans will face a clear choice in 2026. For 30 years, he has imposed Washington's problems on Ohio, pushing radical liberal policies that have left a lasting burden on the next generation," the statement read. "Jon Husted offers the opposite approach, applying Ohio's values and solutions to fix a broken Washington. The challenges our nation faces are the same ones Husted has helped our state confront and overcome, championing the values he learned growing up in northwest Ohio: hard work, personal responsibility, family, faith, freedom and patriotism."
Husted previously served as lieutenant governor and was appointed to succeed then-Sen. JD Vance after Vance won the 2024 election alongside Trump. Husted’s appointment to the seat expires next year.
Ohio voters will decide between Brown and Husted in a special election on Nov. 3. The winner will serve the remainder of Vance's unexpired six-year term, which runs through 2028. They would then need to run again for a full term.
