Husted files for 2026 Senate race, launching aggressive statewide re-election push

Husted says he filed "because too many people in Washington have forgotten what it's like to live, work, and raise a family in Ohio," adding that his campaign will center on lowering costs, creating jobs, securing the border and "making America affordable again."

Husted's filing capped off a fast-moving week in which he released a new campaign video, his first ad, and a full leadership slate of 112 County Campaign Chairs representing all 88 Ohio counties - an unusually large infrastructure rollout this early in the cycle.

Husted's team includes 23 county commissioners, 20 GOP county chairs, nine mayors, seven sheriffs, and five state legislators.

The Ohio senator's campaign says the senator's early filing, combined with his statewide staffing rollout, is intended to send a clear message: he is running aggressively, early, and everywhere.

"My focus is on delivering for Ohio's working families," Husted said. "That won't change in this campaign, and it won't change in my next term."

Husted was appointed to the Senate by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to fill in for JD Vance after the young senator left office to become Trump's vice president. 

Brown, a veteran Democrat who held statewide office for decades, is expected to frame his campaign around protecting union jobs, defending Social Security and Medicare, and pushing back on what he calls "corporate greed."