Brown Leads Husted in Ohio Senate Poll as Gender Gap and Pocketbook Pain Shape the Race

Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown leads appointed Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio's U.S. Senate race, according to a new Fox News survey of likely voters, which puts Brown ahead 52 percent to 47 percent.

Brown's advantage is anchored by his stronger personal standing. His favorability rating sits 2 points above water, at 50 percent favorable and 48 percent unfavorable, while Husted's rating is 13 points underwater, at 42 percent favorable and 55 percent unfavorable.

Brown's supporters are also firmer in their choice: 88 percent of them say they are certain of their vote, compared with 83 percent of Husted's backers.

Economic unease creates another headwind for Husted. About two and a half times as many voters say their financial situation is worse than two years ago rather than better — 46 percent versus 19 percent. Those who say things are worse favor Brown by 49 points, while those who say their finances are better or the same favor Husted by 51 and 24 points respectively.

President Donald Trump's standing in Ohio adds to Husted's difficulties. Trump won the state with 55 percent of the vote in 2024, but just 43 percent now approve of his job performance. A 57 percent majority disapproves, with 46 percent saying they strongly disapprove.

Some 52 percent of voters express concern that Husted is too close to Trump, including 38 percent who are extremely concerned. Brown faces similar concerns about being too liberal — 50 percent are worried — though fewer, 30 percent, are extremely concerned.

The gender gap is one of the race's defining features. Women favor Brown by 14 points while men support Husted by 4, an 18-point gap. Brown also leads among voters under 35, voters with a college degree, union voters and those in urban and suburban areas. Husted relies on rural communities, non-college White men and married voters, and holds a narrow edge among those aged 65 and up.

Partisan crossovers further tilt the field toward the challenger. Husted receives 90 percent of Republicans, but 9 percent cross over to back Brown. Some 97 percent of Democrats support Brown, while just 2 percent choose Husted, and Brown carries independents by nearly two to one.

Voters who view both candidates unfavorably prefer Husted by nearly 20 points. Brown, however, is up by 9 points among those extremely interested in the election and leads by 29 points among the 15 percent of Ohioans who say they have already voted.

Beyond the Senate race itself, Ohioans divide 50 percent to 48 percent in favor of Democratic control of the U.S. Senate. In the governor's contest, Democrat Amy Acton leads Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 50 percent to 48 percent, with women favoring Acton by 10 points and men backing Ramaswamy by 7. Ticket splitting runs both ways: 8 percent of Brown supporters cross over to Ramaswamy, while 6 percent of Husted supporters back Acton.

The survey was conducted October 15-19, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), with interviews among 2,005 Ohio registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. The margin of sampling error for the subsample of 1,592 likely voters is plus or minus 2 percentage points. The survey was completed before a negative television ad from Ramaswamy's campaign featuring Acton's estranged mother became public.

Ahead of the midterms, the poll sends a warning to Republicans in Ohio: unless the mood shifts on the president's popularity and on household finances, closing Brown's lead will be difficult for Husted.