The race for an Ohio U.S. Senate seat is intensifying, with incumbent Republican Sen. Jon Husted drawing a sharp contrast between his tenure and that of his Democratic challenger, former Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Husted, appointed to the Senate in January 2025, told Fox News Digital that Brown's 32-year record in Washington is his greatest liability, arguing that voters already rejected him two years ago due to his extensive time in elected office without significant accomplishments.
"He’s spent 32 years in Washington and he's got nothing to show for it," Husted stated, referencing the 2024 election where Brown was defeated by Bernie Moreno. "This is all he's done. He's been in an elected office since 1974. He hasn't done anything in the private sector. He's just been a creature of Washington and I think the voters finally are tired of it."
Husted further criticized Brown's voting record, asserting that it aligns with liberal positions and is out of step with Ohio voters. He specifically pointed to Brown's past support for policies related to immigration, including what Husted described as support for "amnesty for them" and social services for undocumented immigrants, which Husted claims contributed to crime, fentanyl trafficking, and human trafficking in Ohio.
"They know that he failed them. They know when he goes off to Washington with his comrades that he votes like a liberal, that he's too liberal for Ohio, that he has a track record of voting with Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, and that's out of step with where Ohio is."
Brown's campaign has recently focused on data centers and their impact on energy prices in Ohio, accusing Husted of favoring these developments. Husted countered this by stating that he has introduced legislation requiring data centers to build their own power infrastructure and contribute to local communities, contrasting it with Brown's alleged inaction on the issue during his decades in Congress.
Husted also blamed Brown's policies for increased energy costs, citing the closure of 23 power plants in Ohio during Brown's time in Washington, which he argues led to higher electricity prices. He also pointed to Obamacare, claiming it doubled healthcare insurance costs in Ohio and nationwide.
While Ohio has historically been a swing state, recent presidential elections have seen it shift towards the Republican party. However, recent polling, including a June Fox News poll, indicates Husted is trailing Brown. Democrats are targeting this seat as one of four they need to regain control of the Senate.
Husted emphasized the upcoming election will focus on the contrast between his own record of fighting for Ohioans and Brown's extensive, allegedly failed, record in Washington. "We now have more jobs than we've ever had in our state's history, the lowest unemployment rate, frankly, than we ever had in our states' history. And we don't need to send this guy back to Washington, Sherrod Brown, to continue the failed policies that have harmed the country and harmed our state. We need a guy like me who will fight for Ohio."
The Brown campaign was contacted for comment.