Election to replace JD Vance as U.S. Senator
2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio
The2026 United States Senate special election in Ohio will be held on November 3, 2026, following theelection ofSenator JD Vance asvice president of the United States , as he resigned from the Senate on January 10, 2025, and assumed the vice presidency onJanuary 20, 2025 .
According to Ohio law, if a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant, thegovernor 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 onNovember 3, 2026 .[ 2] [ 3] Mike DeWine chose then-Lieutenant GovernorJon 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 the one to this seat in1954 .
After voting forPresident Barack Obama in both2008 and2012 , Ohio has trended increasingly Republican in subsequent years and is now considered a moderately to stronglyred state at the federal and state level. Republicans control all statewide offices, majorities in both chambers of thestate legislature , and hold bothSenate seats. Republicans also have a majority of the state'sHouse delegation with ten seats compared to five for Democrats.[citation needed
Republican nomineeDonald Trump won Ohio in2016 and2020 by 8 percentage points, and in2024 grew his margin to 11 percentage points.[ 4] JD Vance , now thevice president of the United States , defeated DemocratTim Ryan in the2022 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 6 points, while RepublicanBernie Moreno defeated then-incumbentSherrod Brown in the2024 U.S. Senate election by slightly over 3.5 points.[ 5]
Interim appointment [ edit ] Considered but not appointed [ edit ] Declined to be considered [ edit ] Jon Husted
Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
Individuals
Labor unions
Organizations
Ohio Chamber of Commerce[ 21] Party chapters Political parties Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2025 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand Jon Husted (R) $5,840,228 $812,445 $5,027,783 Source:Federal Election Commission [ 24]
Fred Ode, venture capital executive[ 30] Sherrod Brown
Labor unions
Organizations
Campaign finance reports as of September 30, 2025 Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand Sherrod Brown (D) $7,022,464 $1,076,575 $5,945,889 Source:Federal Election Commission [ 24]
Third party candidates [ edit ] Jon Husted vs. Sherrod Brown
Aggregate polls
Source of poll Dates Dates Jon Sherrod Other/[ c] Margin Race to the WH [ 52] February 14 – October 14, 2025 November 18, 2025 48.1% 46.7% 5.2% Husted +1.4% RealClearPolitics [ 53] August 18 – October 14, 2025 November 18, 2025 49.0% 46.5% 4.5% Husted +2.5% Average 48.55% 46.6% 4.85% Husted +1.95%
^ Fahmy, Natalie; Rees, David (January 9, 2025)."Sen. J.D. Vance resigns ahead of vice presidential inauguration" .WCMH-TV . RetrievedMarch 9, 2025 . ^ Burd, Aaron (July 16, 2024)."How J.D. Vance's replacement in U.S. Senate will be picked if he becomes vice president" .WCMH-TV ^ "Filling vacancies in elective offices" (PDF) . Ohio Secretary of State. p. 2. RetrievedNovember 6, 2024 .^ Schladen, Marty (November 6, 2024)."Trump wins Ohio for a third time" .Ohio Capital Journal . RetrievedDecember 5, 2024 . ^ Evans, Nick (November 6, 2024)."Republican Bernie Moreno defeats incumbent Sherrod Brown for Ohio U.S. Senate seat • Ohio Capital Journal" .Ohio Capital Journal . RetrievedDecember 5, 2024 . ^ Wren, Adam; Cai, Sophia (January 17, 2025)."DeWine passes over Ramaswamy, selects Jon Husted for Senate" .Politico . RetrievedJanuary 18, 2025 . ^a b c d Staver, Anna (November 11, 2024)."Ohio Republican Sen. Matt Dolan seeking appointment to fill vacancy left by VP-elect JD Vance" .WOSU-TV . RetrievedJanuary 21, 2025 .Other names reportedly on DeWine's list include Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. ^ Trau, Morgan (July 24, 2024)."Here's what qualities Gov. Mike DeWine wants to see in his possible U.S. Senate appointment" .Ohio Capital Journal . RetrievedDecember 29, 2024 .Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine chuckled as he denied interest in appointing himself to the open Senate seat ^ Kronenberg, Alan (September 5, 2024)."Who Would Take Over for JD Vance or Tim Walz, and Does it Matter?" .U.S. News & World Report Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. RetrievedNovember 6, 2024 . ^ Andrews, Melissa (December 4, 2024)."Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says he will run for Governor" .WTOL . RetrievedDecember 4, 2024 . ^ Smyth, Julie Carr (April 9, 2025)."Trump favorite Jon Husted launches 2026 U.S. Senate campaign in Ohio" .Associated Press . RetrievedApril 9, 2025 . ^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1864685" .docquery.fec.gov . RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025 .^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1925628" .docquery.fec.gov . RetrievedNovember 19, 2025 .^ Taylor, Lydia (April 9, 2025)."Trump endorses Husted for 2026 Senate race" .Spectrum News . RetrievedApril 9, 2025 . ^ Downs, Rebecca (August 20, 2025)."Wyoming GOP Senator Hails Ohio's Husted, Blasts Democrat Seeking Comeback as 'a Failure' .The Daily Signal . RetrievedAugust 21, 2025 . ^ Jacobs, Chris (September 22, 2025)."U.S. Sen. Husted, gubernatorial candidate Ramaswamy endorse each other in key Ohio races" .WLWT . RetrievedSeptember 22, 2025 . ^ "Week in review: October 26, 2025" .The Ohio Society of CPAs . RetrievedNovember 10, 2025 .^a b Gomez, Henry J. (September 12, 2025)."Unions place early bets on Republicans in key Ohio races" .NBC News . RetrievedSeptember 13, 2025 . ^ Nichols, Hans (October 15, 2025)."Scoop: Jon Husted snatches third union endorsement from Sherrod Brown" .Axios . ^ "Northwest Ohio trades council endorses Husted for Senate" .The Blade . RetrievedAugust 22, 2025 .^ Gomez, Henry J.; Dixon, Matt (July 21, 2025)."Vance's and Marco Rubio's Senate successors avoid GOP primary drama" .NBC News . RetrievedJuly 21, 2025 . ^ "Pike County GOP endorses Jon Husted" .News Watchman . August 8, 2025. RetrievedOctober 13, 2025 .^ "Ohio Republican Party endorses Husted" .The Highland County Press . RetrievedMay 10, 2025 .^a b "2026 Election United States Senate – Ohio" .fec.gov .Federal Election Commission . RetrievedApril 23, 2025 .^ Carr Smyth, Julie (August 18, 2025)."Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown makes it official. He'll vie to unseat Trump-backed Sen. Jon Husted" .Associated Press . RetrievedAugust 18, 2025 . ^ Rees, David (September 5, 2025)."Meet the lesser-known candidates in Ohio's 2026 U.S. Senate race" .FOX 8 News . RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025 . ^a b Millard, Katie (June 25, 2025)."Two Democrats enter Ohio's 2026 Senate race" .WCMH-TV . RetrievedJune 25, 2025 . ^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1866577" .docquery.fec.gov . RetrievedSeptember 23, 2025 .^ "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1919621" .docquery.fec.gov . RetrievedOctober 15, 2025 .^ Laura Hancock, cleveland com (November 7, 2025)."Lorain County entrepreneur Fred Ode ends 2026 Senate campaign against Sherrod Brown" .cleveland . RetrievedNovember 10, 2025 . ^a b Solender, Andrew (December 12, 2024)."GOP Rep. Ciscomani passes on run for Arizona governor" .Axios . RetrievedDecember 12, 2024 .Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) and Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) won't run for Vice President-elect JD Vance's Senate seat, according to Sykes' office and a statement from Brown. ^ Solender, Andrew (April 10, 2025)."A growing wave of House members is grasping for higher office" .Axios . RetrievedApril 15, 2025 .Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), previously floated as a potential challenger to Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), told Axios he is 'staying put' in the House. ^ Roarty, Alex (April 29, 2025)."Democrats' Senate Majority Hopes Hinge on Candidates Who Are Still Undecided" .NOTUS . RetrievedApril 30, 2025 . ^ Skolnick, David (June 20, 2025)."Ohio Dems in holding pattern" .Tribune Chronicle . RetrievedJune 20, 2025 . ^ Skolnick, David (August 19, 2025)."Sherrod Brown to challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Husted" .The Parkersburg News and Sentinel . RetrievedAugust 19, 2025 . ^ "Sherrod Brown Earns IFPTE's Endorsement for U.S. Senate" .ifpte.org . August 20, 2025. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2025 .^ "Ohio Federation of Teachers endorses Sherrod Brown for 2026 Senate election" .WSYX ABC 6 . October 8, 2025. RetrievedOctober 9, 2025 .^ "Plumbers and Pipefitters Union (UA) Endorses Sherrod Brown for Senate" .uagetinvolved.org . August 26, 2025. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2025 .^ "UAW endorses Democrat Sherrod Brown in 2026 U.S. Senate special election" .The Chronicle-Telegram . RetrievedNovember 4, 2025 .^ "IUPAT Endorses Sherrod Brown for United States Senate" .IUPAT . October 7, 2025. RetrievedNovember 10, 2025 .^ "ECU Endorses Sherrod Brown for OH-SEN" .endcitizensunited.org . August 25, 2025. RetrievedSeptember 8, 2025 .^ "GIFFORDS endorses Sherrod Brown in comeback bid for US Senate in Ohio" .giffords.org . September 3, 2025. RetrievedSeptember 8, 2025 .^ "🚨Key Endorsements for 2025 & 2026🚨" .Jewish Democratic Council of America . RetrievedAugust 28, 2025 .^ "Candidates" .Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs .^ "LCV Action Fund Endorses Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate" .www.lcv.org . November 10, 2025. RetrievedNovember 12, 2025 .^ Dixon, Brian (August 13, 2025)."Population Connection Action Fund Endorses Sherrod Brown for Senate" .populationconnectionaction.org . RetrievedSeptember 9, 2025 . ^ "Socialist and Black liberation organizer Greg Levy launches 2026 Ohio Senate run" .WSYX . RetrievedOctober 25, 2025 .^ "Senate Ratings" .Inside Elections . RetrievedAugust 12, 2025 .^ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings" .Cook Political Report . RetrievedFebruary 11, 2025 .^ "2026 Senate ratings" .Sabato's Crystal Ball . RetrievedFebruary 13, 2025 .^ "2026 Senate Forecast" .Race to the WH . RetrievedMarch 19, 2025 .^ "2026 Senate Polling" .Race to the White House . RetrievedNovember 8, 2025 .^ "2026 Ohio Senate Special Election - Husted vs. Brown" .RealClearPolitics.com . RetrievedNovember 8, 2025 .^ "October 2025 Poll Results" .BGSU Poll . October 19, 2025. RetrievedOctober 19, 2025 .^ "Survey on Ohio 2026 Senate Race" (PDF) .Hart Research . November 11, 2025. RetrievedNovember 12, 2025 .^ "Ohio 2026 Poll: Senator Husted Starts Matchup with Six-point Lead Over Sherrod Brown" .Emerson College Polling . August 21, 2025. RetrievedAugust 21, 2025 .^a b Alexander, Robert; Miller, Melissa; Jackson, David; Boston, Joshua (April 29, 2025)."Survey of 800 Ohio Registered voters 18+, April 2025 Toplines" .Bowling Green State University . RetrievedAugust 10, 2025 . ^a b Alexander, Robert; Miller, Melissa; Jackson, David; Boston, Joshua (March 5, 2024)."Survey of 800 Ohio Registered voters 18+, Feb 2025 Toplines" .Bowling Green State University . RetrievedMarch 9, 2025 . Official campaign websites
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