Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown holds a 52% to 47% lead over Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the Ohio Senate race, according to a new Fox News poll. Brown's advantage is bolstered by a significant gender gap, voter concerns about household finances, and a lower favorability rating for Husted compared to Brown.
The poll found that 50% of likely Ohio voters view Brown favorably, while 48% view him unfavorably. Husted's favorability rating stands at 42% favorable and 55% unfavorable. More of Brown's supporters, 88%, express certainty about their vote compared to Husted's backers at 83%.
Economic sentiment appears to be a challenge for Husted, as 46% of voters report their financial situation is worse than two years ago, while 19% say it is better. Those who feel their finances have worsened favor Brown by 49 points, while those who believe their finances have improved or remained the same favor Husted by 51 and 24 points, respectively.
President Trump, who won Ohio with 55% of the vote in 2024, currently holds a 43% job approval rating in the state, with a 57% majority disapproving. Concerns about Husted's close ties to Trump are expressed by 52% of voters, including 38% who are "extremely concerned." Conversely, 50% of voters are concerned that Brown is too liberal, with 30% being "extremely concerned."
Women favor Brown by 14 points, while men support Husted by 4 points, creating an 18-point gender gap. Brown also leads among voters under 35, those with college degrees, union members, and residents of urban and suburban areas. Husted finds support in rural communities, among non-college-educated white men, married voters, and those aged 65 and older.
Partisan crossovers also benefit Brown. While Husted secures 90% of Republican support, 9% defect to Brown. Among Democrats, 97% support Brown, with only 2% backing Husted. Brown also holds a nearly two-to-one advantage among independent voters. Voters who view both Senate candidates unfavorably lean towards Husted by almost 20 points.
Brown leads by 9 points among voters extremely interested in the election and by 29 points among the 15% of Ohioans who have already voted. In a question about which party should control the U.S. Senate, Ohioans are divided, with 50% favoring Democratic control and 48% favoring Republican control.
In the state's gubernatorial race, Democrat Amy Acton leads Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 50% to 48%. Similar to the Senate race, women favor Acton by 10 points, while men support Ramaswamy by 7 points.
The Fox News Poll surveyed 2,005 Ohio registered voters from October 15-19, 2026. The margin of sampling error for the likely voter sample is ±2 percentage points.