He planned to run for Ohio governor. Now Jon Husted could be in the US Senate’s toughest 2026 race

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Sen. Jon Husted looks on as Vivek Ramaswamy fires up a standing-room-only crowd in Ohio, making the case for why he should be their next governor. It’s a speech Husted, just months ago, had expected to give himself.

But Husted’s political path took an abrupt turn in January, when Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance. In just days, the longtime lieutenant governor went from a low-profile state office to a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Now Republicans are counting on Husted — who last led a general election campaign of his own in 2014, though he’s appeared on statewide ballots as lieutenant governor — to defend the Senate seat in a race with national implications. Democrats recruited former Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s best-known Democrat, immediately making it a competitive contest. Brown is among the candidates giving Democrats hope about gaining ground in the Senate next year, even as the 2026 map will make retaking the majority difficult.

Husted is betting that his personal story, long history in office and alignment with President Donald Trump will help him continue the Republican Party’s winning streak in Ohio. That may be tougher without Trump, who motivates GOP voters to turn out, being on the ballot.

“We have a Republican Party that is winning in the state of Ohio,” Husted told supporters at the event where he and Ramaswamy endorsed each other. “But there is no guarantee.”

From All-American football player to US Senate

Born just outside Detroit, Husted spent his first few months of life in a foster home. Then, he says, “the greatest thing that could ever happen to me in life: I got adopted by my mom and dad.”

He grew up in rural Ohio and played football at the University of Dayton, where he became an All-American cornerback. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in his early 30s, then later served as House Speaker, state senator and secretary of state.

Husted became DeWine’s running mate in 2018 after an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid of his own. They easily won reelection in 2022, and Husted intended to run to replace the term-limited DeWine before the presidential election scrambled his plans.

On Jan. 17, DeWine announced that Husted would fill Vance’s seat — opting for him over Ramaswamy, whom Trump had encouraged to consider taking the seat. While Husted said he hasn’t had an in-depth conversation with DeWine about it, he believes the governor “trusted me the most of anybody to go and do a good job.”

Husted has served in a 53–47 Republican-controlled Senate that’s been among the most contentious in recent history. Republicans’ most significant legislative win so far has been passing Trump’s sweeping spending and tax cut package. Husted, like many Republicans, promotes it as a tax break for the working class. Democrats have criticized it for slashing health care funding.

Back in Ohio during Congress’ recess, Husted has repeatedly insisted that no Ohioans will lose Medicaid coverage as a result of the law. But the Congressional Budget Office projects that across the country, more than 10 million people will become uninsured by 2034.

The incumbent with the low profile

After their cross-endorsement event in Columbus, Ramaswamy rushes out of the room, past a swarm of shouting reporters, while Husted lingers in the crowd before taking questions. It’s a glimpse of their contrasting styles — and a reflection of their races. Many Republicans in the crowd predict Ramaswamy will win in a landslide, while Husted is bracing for a tough fight.

Brown is widely expected to secure his party’s nomination and is considered one of the top Democratic recruits in the country this cycle. He spent 32 years in Congress — including 18 in the Senate — before losing his seat last year to Republican Bernie Moreno by just over 3.5 percentage points.

But Moreno’s win came with Trump — who carried Ohio by more than 11 points — at the top of the ticket. Without him, and with midterm elections historically favoring the party not in the White House, Democrats believe Brown has a viable path back.

Democrats have signaled that Husted’s as-yet-unresolved ties to what’s been described as the largest corruption scheme in state history will become a campaign issue. Husted has not been accused of wrongdoing.

The 2026 contest is expected to be highly expensive. In 2024, the race between Moreno and Brown was the most expensive of the cycle, with total spending topping $500 million. The cryptocurrency industry alone spent over $40 million to defeat Brown, who then chaired the Senate Banking Committee.

In the latest filings in July, Husted had raised just over $3 million so far in the Senate race, with $2.6 million in cash on hand. Brown officially launched his bid in August, and his team announced that he raised $3.6 million in his first 24 hours in the race.

Ohio GOP Chair Alex Triantafilou said Husted has been one of the state’s best fundraising candidates and “I anticipate he’ll have the resources he needs to win the race.”

Can Democrats still compete in Ohio?

For more than half a century, as Ohio went, so did the nation.

But after former President Barack Obama carried Ohio in both of his presidential campaigns, Trump won it in 2016. He also won the state in 2024 and 2020, when Joe Biden became the first president elected without carrying Ohio since fellow Democrat John F. Kennedy in 1960.

Now the GOP controls both chambers of the state legislature, the governor’s office and both U.S. Senate seats.

Whether Brown can win back his seat in 2026 could serve as a key barometer for the Democratic Party’s ability to reconnect with the union and blue-collar voters Ohio is known for — a bloc that helped Trump sweep the so-called Rust Belt battlegrounds of Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania in 2024.

So far, union endorsements have been split for the top Ohio races. The Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters and the Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters have backed both Ramaswamy and Brown. The state’s Teamsters union has endorsed Ramaswamy for governor but hasn’t weighed in yet on the Senate contest.

Before a cheering crowd wearing “Vivek for Ohio” stickers and holding “Jon Husted for Senate” signs, the joint endorsement event in Columbus was a celebration. But Ohio Republicans know how close the margin could be and how easily momentum can shift.

Even if he wins, Husted would still need to run again in 2028 to secure a full six-year term. He shrugs off the challenge, telling The Associated Press with a smile: “I’ve done a lot tougher things in my life than that.”