Jon Husted in Ohio on Tuesday, flipping a seat that was crucial to Democrats’ strategy to retake the chamber and providing a ray of hope for the party’s longer-term prospects in a former swing state that had turned sharply to the right over the last decade. Former Sen. Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Sen.
Husted argued that Brown, who has spent five decades in politics, was out of date and too liberal for Ohio voters. Late in the campaign, President Donald Trump — who made several Ohio visits on Husted’s behalf — became fixated on Husted’s athletic physique, promoting the former college football player as the better-looking candidate. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
