A Top 2026 Senate Race Kicks Off With Attacks About Jeffrey Epstein
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- The Ohio Senate race features incumbent Republican Jon Husted, who is relatively unknown and highlights his personal background, versus former Senator Sherrod Brown, a well-known Democrat targeting Husted by linking him to Jeffrey Epstein.
- This contest is critical for control of the Senate in 2027, with Democrats needing to flip at least four Republican seats, and Ohio considered one of the most competitive battlegrounds.
- The race tests the political shift in Ohio, a traditionally Republican state that has leaned left during President Trump’s second term, and whether Brown can outperform Democrats' recent presidential election losses.
- Both candidates face minimal primary opposition, and the general election is expected to trigger an advertising battle surpassing the $550 million spent in Ohio’s 2024 Senate race.
- The winner will complete Vice President JD Vance’s term ending in 2026 and then run for re-election in 2028.
