Sherrod Brown's 2026 Senate Bid: 'The System Got Worse'

Sherrod Brown Announces 2026 U.S. Senate Bid in First TV Interview

In his first television interview since announcing his 2026 U.S. Senate campaign, Sherrod Brown shared his thoughts on the current political climate and his decision to return to the national stage. The Democrat, who previously served as a U.S. Senator from Ohio, revealed that he initially did not plan to run again but felt compelled to re-enter the race as the situation worsened.

Brown launched his campaign on Monday, setting the stage for a potential showdown against Republican Jon Husted in the 2026 election. His decision comes after narrowly losing re-election last year and is seen as a significant move in the political landscape of Ohio.

“I spent my whole career in public office, fighting against a rigged system,” Brown said during the interview. “I didn’t really ever expect to run for office again. As this year wore on, this rigged system got worse: 490,000 Ohioans will lose health insurance, a huge tax cut driving a $3 trillion hole in the federal budget, and prices kept going up.”

The special election will determine who finishes the remainder of J.D. Vance’s Senate term. Vance vacated the seat in January to become vice president, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine to appoint then-Lt. Gov. Husted to fill the vacancy. This has set the stage for a competitive race between Brown and Husted.

Multiple media outlets reported earlier in August that Brown would mount a Senate return, but the decision was a surprise given the former senator was also considering Ohio’s 2026 gubernatorial race. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly met with Brown multiple times, urging him to face off against Husted as Democrats look to reclaim Senate control.

“We were hearing from lots of people … what was unanimous is people saying things are getting worse in this country, things during the last few months are getting worse, prices are getting worse,” said Brown. “I thought I could have the biggest impact in the Senate, in large part because we don’t have a voice for Ohio workers in the United States Senate.”

Husted, a longtime fixture in Ohio Republican politics, officially launched his campaign earlier this year and has quickly consolidated GOP support, including an early endorsement from President Donald Trump. Husted has more than $2.6 million in campaign funds and the backing of national conservative organizations.

Brown criticized Husted, stating that he has spent his career advocating for wealth people and big corporations by increasing the deficit and voting for tax cuts for billionaires and Medicaid cuts. He argued that the Republican is “against the middle class and against public interest in Ohio.”

“I have fought for workers no matter what job I held in elective office. As a congressman, as a senator, I’ve been one of the strongest voice for workers,” said Brown. “[Husted’s] been a strong voice for Wall Street. He’s been a strong voice for the drug company. … Do you want somebody who’s been on the side of workers in the middle class and keeping prices down, or do you want somebody who’s been on the side of Wall Street?”

Brown is starting financially fresh. The former senator finished 2024’s race with $394,000 on hand, which he then funneled into a political action committee called “Dignity of Work.” The effort coincided with Brown’s creation in March of the Dignity of Work Institute, a nonprofit group to address working-class issues like low wages and home ownership.

The winner of the 2026 race for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat will be completing Vance’s original term, which runs through 2028. If that senator wants to serve a full six-year term, they will need to run again in 2028. Still, Brown said he runs for “these jobs knowing it’s temporary and how important it is to perform.” If he wins in 2026, Brown said he’ll decide whether to run in 2028 at a later time.

“As I said, [my wife] Connie and I thought we were not running again. When we hear from people whose lives have gotten worse these last eight months and are going to get worse if we continue this direction — closing rural hospitals, drug prices going up, and grocery prices going up — that’s why we got back in,” said Brown. “That’s why I want to continue this fight.”