Sherrod Brown, the former Democratic Senator from Ohio, holds an 8-point lead over Republican incumbent Jon Husted in the state's U.S. Senate race, according to a new Fox News poll. The survey indicates that economic anxiety, particularly concerning inflation and the cost of living, is the dominant issue shaping voter priorities in Ohio.
Inflation was cited as the top issue by 40% of Ohio registered voters, significantly outweighing other concerns such as healthcare, immigration, and political divisions. This focus on economic woes appears to be benefiting Brown. The poll revealed that 38% of Ohioans now describe their family's financial situation as "falling behind," an increase from 28% in 2020, and these voters favor Brown by a substantial 40-point margin.
Candidate Concerns and Party Affiliations
While Donald Trump won Ohio by 11 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, Husted, who was appointed to the Senate in 2025 after J.D. Vance became vice president, faces voter concerns about his connection to the former president. Fifty-one percent of Ohio voters expressed concern that Husted is too close to Trump, a 5-point increase from June. In contrast, 44% of voters are concerned that Brown is too closely tied to the Democratic Party establishment.
The poll highlights a fracture across party lines, with Republican voters showing crossover support for Brown. While 97% of Democrats back Brown, he also receives 11% support from Republicans overall, including 25% among non-MAGA Republicans. Independents also lean towards Brown, with two-thirds favoring him. Husted retains strong support among Republicans, with 87% favoring him.
Brown's lead of 53% to Husted's 45% is particularly strong among voters who are highly certain to vote. This margin expands to 10 points among those rating their certainty to vote as a 10 out of 10, and to 15 points among those who are extremely motivated to vote.
Demographic Support
Brown garners significant support among key demographic groups, including liberals (+88 points), urban voters (+37), union households (+31), voters under 45 (+17), women (+16), and college graduates (+9). Husted, conversely, leads among conservatives (+65 points), White evangelical Christians (+42), White men without a college degree (+17), rural residents (+12), and married voters (+6).
Personal favorability ratings also favor Brown, who holds a 51% favorable to 47% unfavorable rating. Husted's ratings are underwater, with 43% favorable and 53% unfavorable. When asked about their motivation for supporting their candidate, 67% of Brown's supporters say their vote is primarily for him, while 58% of Husted's supporters say they are motivated to vote for him rather than against Brown. However, a notable segment of voters for both candidates, one in five supporting Brown and one in four supporting Husted, indicated they might change their preference before the election.
Broader Dissatisfaction
The poll also captured widespread dissatisfaction with national political figures and parties. Majorities of Ohioans hold unfavorable views of the Democratic Party (57%) and the Republican Party (54%), as well as Donald Trump (56%) and the MAGA movement (57%). Views on former Senator J.D. Vance were divided, with 47% favorable and 50% unfavorable.
In the Ohio gubernatorial race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy holds a narrow 50% to 48% lead over Democrat Amy Acton. Most supporters for both gubernatorial candidates expressed high certainty in their choices. A notable interaction between the races sees 14% of Brown's Senate supporters backing Ramaswamy for governor, while 6% of Husted's supporters prefer Acton.
The Fox News Poll was conducted August 6-10, 2026, with interviews of 1,008 Ohio registered voters. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points.