2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio

The 2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio will be held on November 3, 2026, following the election of Senator JD Vance as vice president of the United States, as he resigned from the Senate on January 10, 2025, and assumed the vice presidency on January 20, 2025.

Source: Wikipedia

Article

2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio

According to Ohio law, if a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor appoints a replacement who serves until December 15 following the next regularly scheduled statewide election that occurs more than 180 days after the vacancy. A special election to fill the remainder of the term is then held concurrently with that regular state election, which in this case would be the one on November 3, 2026. Governor Mike DeWine chose then-Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted to replace Vance in the Senate. Primary elections will be held on May 5, 2026.

This will be the first U.S. Senate special election in Ohio since (/wiki/1954UnitedStatesSenatespecialelectioninOhio).

Background

2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio

After voting for President Barack Obama in both (/wiki/2008UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninOhio) and (/wiki/2012UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninOhio), Ohio has trended increasingly Republican in subsequent years and is now considered a moderately to strongly red state at the federal and state level. Republicans control all statewide offices, majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, and hold both Senate seats. Republicans also have a majority of the state's House delegation with ten seats compared to five for Democrats.

Republican nominee Donald Trump won Ohio in (/wiki/2016UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninOhio) and (/wiki/2020UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninOhio) by 8 percentage points, and in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatespresidentialelectioninOhio) grew his margin to 11 percentage points. Additionally, Republican JD Vance, now the vice president of the United States, defeated Democrat Tim Ryan in the 2022 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 6 points, while Republican Bernie Moreno defeated then-incumbent Sherrod Brown in the 2024 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 3.5 points.

Interim appointment

Appointee

• Jon Husted, lieutenant governor of Ohio (2019–2025)

Considered but not appointed

• Matt Dolan, former state senator from the 24th district (2017–2024) and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesSenateelectioninOhio) and (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenateelectioninOhio) • Frank LaRose, Ohio secretary of state (2019–present) and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatesSenateelectioninOhio) • Vivek Ramaswamy, former CEO of Roivant Sciences (2014–2023) and candidate for president in (/wiki/2024UnitedStatespresidentialelection) • Jane Timken, former chair of the Ohio Republican Party (2017–2021) and candidate for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesSenateelectioninOhio)

Declined to be considered

• Mike DeWine, governor of Ohio (2019–present) and former U.S. senator (1995–2007) • Dave Yost, Ohio attorney general (2019–present) (ran for governor)

Republican primary

Presumptive nominee

• Jon Husted, incumbent U.S. senator (2025–present)

Fundraising

Democratic primary

Declared

• Sherrod Brown, former U.S. senator (2007–2025) • Ron Kincaid, IT professional and Special Olympics coach

Declined

• Shontel Brown, U.S. representative from Ohio's 11th congressional district (2021–present) (running for re-election) • Greg Landsman, U.S. representative from Ohio's 1st congressional district (2023–present) (running for re-election) • Tim Ryan, former U.S. representative from Ohio's 13th congressional district (2003–2023), nominee for U.S. Senate in (/wiki/2022UnitedStatesSenateelectioninOhio), and candidate for president in (/wiki/2020UnitedStatespresidentialelection) • Emilia Sykes, U.S. representative from Ohio's 13th congressional district (2023–present) (running for re-election) • Casey Weinstein, state senator from the 28th district (2025–present)

Fundraising

<table><thead><tr><th>Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Candidate</td><td>Raised</td><td>Spent</td><td>Cash on hand</td></tr><tr><td>Sherrod Brown (D)</td><td>$14,356,451</td><td>$4,456,809</td><td>$9,899,642</td></tr><tr><td>Ron Kincaid (D)</td><td>$28,445</td><td>$18,523</td><td>$9,935</td></tr><tr><td>Chris Volpe (D)</td><td>$3,706</td><td>$2,289</td><td>$1,417</td></tr><tr><td>Source: Federal Election Commission</td></tr></tbody></table>

Libertarian primary

2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio

Former Libertarian National Committee chair William Redpath is running as a Libertarian. Health care consultant Jeffrey Kanter was disqualified from the Libertarian primary by Ohio Libertarians, citing Kanter submitted hundreds of invalid signatures with his candidate petition.

Declared

• Bill Redpath, former Libertarian National Committee chair and nominee for 2022 United States Senate election in Illinois

General election

Predictions

<table><thead><tr><th>Source</th><th>Ranking</th><th>As of</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Inside Elections</td><td>Lean R</td><td>January 12, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>The Cook Political Report</td><td>Lean R</td><td>January 12, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Sabato's Crystal Ball</td><td>Lean R</td><td>January 29, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>Race To The WH</td><td>Tilt D (flip)</td><td>March 11, 2026</td></tr></tbody></table>

Polling

<table><thead><tr><th>Source of poll aggregation</th><th>Dates administered</th><th>Dates updated</th><th>Jon Husted (R)</th><th>Sherrod Brown (D)</th><th>Other/Undecided</th><th>Margin</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>270toWin</td><td>March 10-16, 2026</td><td>March 16, 2026</td><td>46.0%</td><td>47.3%</td><td>6.7%</td><td>Brown +1.3%</td></tr><tr><td>Race to the WH</td><td>February 14 2025 – March 12, 2026</td><td>March 12, 2026</td><td>45.5%</td><td>47.2%</td><td>7.3%</td><td>Brown +1.7%</td></tr><tr><td>RealClearPolitics</td><td>October 2, 2025 – March 14, 2026</td><td>March 14, 2026</td><td>47.7%</td><td>46.3%</td><td>6.0%</td><td>Husted +1.4%</td></tr><tr><td>Average</td><td>46.4%</td><td>46.9%</td><td>6.7%</td><td>Brown +0.5%</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>Poll source</th><th>Date(s) administered</th><th>Sample size</th><th>Margin of error</th><th>Jon Husted (R)</th><th>Sherrod Brown (D)</th><th>Other</th><th>Undecided</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Quantus Insights (R)</td><td>March 13–14, 2026</td><td>784 (LV)</td><td>± 3.8%</td><td>46%</td><td>44%</td><td>4%</td><td>6%</td></tr><tr><td>OnMessage Public Strategies (R)</td><td>March 3–8, 2026</td><td>600 (LV)</td><td>± 4.0%</td><td>45%</td><td>47%</td><td>–</td><td>8%</td></tr><tr><td>EMC Research (D)</td><td>February 10–22, 2026</td><td>1,343 (LV)</td><td>± 2.7%</td><td>47%</td><td>51%</td><td>–</td><td>2%</td></tr><tr><td>Emerson College</td><td>December 6–8, 2025</td><td>850 (RV)</td><td>± 3.3%</td><td>49%</td><td>46%</td><td>–</td><td>5%</td></tr><tr><td>Bowling Green State University/YouGov</td><td>October 2–14, 2025</td><td>800 (RV)</td><td>± 4.5%</td><td>48%</td><td>49%</td><td>3%</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Hart Research (D)</td><td>September 19–22, 2025</td><td>800 (LV)</td><td>± 3.5%</td><td>45%</td><td>48%</td><td>–</td><td>7%</td></tr><tr><td>Emerson College</td><td>August 18–19, 2025</td><td>1,000 (RV)</td><td>± 3%</td><td>50%</td><td>44%</td><td>–</td><td>7%</td></tr><tr><td>Bowling Green State University/YouGov</td><td>April 18–24, 2025</td><td>800 (RV)</td><td>± 4.1%</td><td>49%</td><td>46%</td><td>5%</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>Bowling Green State University/YouGov</td><td>February 14–21, 2025</td><td>800 (RV)</td><td>± 4.0%</td><td>47%</td><td>41%</td><td>–</td><td>12%</td></tr></tbody></table>