Sherrod Brown, who recently served as a United States Senator for Ohio from 2007 to 2025, has announced his candidacy for the 2026 special election in Ohio. Brown, a Democrat, is seeking to reclaim a Senate seat after losing his re-election bid in 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno. He officially announced his candidacy on August 18, 2025.
Brown is aiming to unseat incumbent Senator Jon Husted, a Republican who was appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to fill the vacancy created when J.D. Vance became Vice President.
Brown highlighted his commitment to working-class values and his belief in standing up for workers, treating everyone with dignity and respect, and fighting for Ohio. He said that he didn't initially plan to run again, but seeing what's happening, he knows he can make a difference for Ohio.
The 2024 election saw Brown, a vocal critic of cryptocurrencies, targeted by pro-crypto political action committees (PACs). The race between Brown and Moreno was one of the most expensive in Ohio's history. The pro-crypto super PAC Defend American Jobs (DAJ) launched a $40.8 million TV ad blitz designed to boost Moreno's image. Crypto industry spending helped make Ohio's Senate race the most expensive in the state's history, with Moreno's campaign boosted by around $40.1 million from the super PAC Defend American Jobs.
Moreno's victory was aided by Republican nominee Donald Trump's margin of victory in Ohio. Although Brown outperformed Kamala Harris in the concurrent presidential election, it was not enough to secure his win. Moreno defeated Brown by 3.62 percentage points.
Brown's loss was considered a significant win for the crypto industry, with a spokesman for Fairshake, another member of the crypto PAC triad, taking credit for Moreno's victory and condemning Brown's support for regulating the industry.
Following his departure from the Senate in January 2025, Brown became a Spring 2025 Visiting Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and launched the Dignity of Work Institute. He also wrote an op-ed in The New Republic, arguing that "Democrats Must Become the Workers' Party Again," and a guest essay in The New York Times titled "What Worries Me Most About Trump's Failing Economy".
Brown's announcement sets the stage for a closely watched and likely expensive Senate race in 2026. Democrats are aiming to win back the Senate majority, and Brown is seen as a key recruit in that effort.
