Economic anxiety is fueling a Democratic comeback in Ohio — and Republicans are bleeding voters over the cost of living.
Former Senator Sherrod Brown holds an 8-point lead over incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted in Ohio’s high-stakes Senate race, 53% to 45%, according to a new Fox News poll. The margin is unchanged since June, but the dynamics underneath show deepening vulnerability for the GOP.
Inflation dominates the electorate. A full 40% of Ohio voters call it their top issue — far outpacing healthcare, immigration, and political divisions. That’s up sharply from 2020, when just 28% of Ohioans said their family’s financial situation was “falling behind.” Now, 38% say they’re falling behind — and those voters favor Brown by 40 points.
“Inflation dominates their priorities, with 40% saying it is their top issue, far outranking healthcare, immigration, and political divisions.”
Husted was appointed to the Senate in 2025 after JD Vance became vice president. Brown narrowly lost his seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024 and is now seeking to regain it.
But Husted faces a Trump problem. 51% of Ohio voters are concerned that he’s too close to President Donald Trump — up 5 points from June. Fewer voters, 44%, worry that Brown is too closely tied to the Democratic Party establishment.
That perception is fracturing Republican unity. While 87% of Republicans backHusted, a full 97% of Democrats back Brown. The Democrat also draws 11% crossover support from Republicans overall and 25% among non-MAGA Republicans. Two-thirds of independents favor Brown.
Brown’s lead expands to 10 points among voters rating their certainty to vote as a 10 out of 10, and to 15 points among those saying they are extremely motivated to vote.
The most motivated blocs this year — liberals, voters with a college degree, and supporters of the Democratic Socialists of America — prefer their former Senator.
Brown leads by 88 points among liberals, by 37 points among urban voters, by 31 points in union households, by 17 points among voters under 45, by 16 points among women, and by 9 points among college graduates.
Husted is favored among conservatives (+65 points), White evangelical Christians (+42), White men without a college degree (+17), rural residents (+12), and married voters (+6).
Brown also has the most positive personal rating of any candidate tested in the poll: 51% favorable, 47% unfavorable. Husted’s rating is 10 percentage points underwater, at 43% favorable and 53% unfavorable.
Even so, one in five Brown supporters and one in four Husted supporters say they could still change their candidate preference before casting a ballot.
Majorities of Ohioans hold unfavorable views of the Democratic Party (57%), the Republican Party (54%), Trump (56%), the MAGA movement (57%), and the Democratic Socialists of America (54%). Views of Vance are divided: 47% favorable, 50% unfavorable.
In the Ohio governor’s race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy receives 50% to Democrat Amy Acton’s 48% — a small shift since June, when Acton was ahead by 1 point.
The Fox News poll was conducted August 6-10, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R). The poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,008 Ohio registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points.
