This page requires JavaScript to display.

Ohio Senate race tightens

News · Heat 5.5 / 10 · 3 shows · 8m airtime

Polling released in the week before the 2026 midterms shows Sherrod Brown's Ohio Senate lead over John Husted narrowing, with Brown's support stuck at 47 percent and his lead nearly halved from plus 3.2. Republican polling puts Brown's unfavorable rating above 50 percent for the first time. The discussion centers on whether 47 percent is a ceiling for Brown, and on Trump and Jon Gruden campaigning for Husted. Prediction markets put Brown at 66 to 70 percent, rising since mid-October, leaving the polls and the markets telling different stories.

How 3 podcasts covered it

  1. Ruthless Podcast, 2026-10-21 (3:01 to 7:01)
    Calls Brown's 47 percent a ceiling
    Walks through the new Ohio Senate polling and argues Brown's 47 percent is a ceiling, citing his unfavorables above 50 percent and Trump and Gruden stumping for Husted.
    New angle: Brown's unfavorable rating is over 50 percent, the first time Republican polling has shown it that high.
  2. The Rest Is Politics: US, 2026-10-22 (27:14 to 28:33)
    Previews the second most expensive Senate race
    Frames the Ohio Senate race as the country's second most expensive at $500 million, with Brown challenging Husted, and asks whether Trump's body riff helps or hurts Husted. Setup and analysis, not a new development.
  3. The Rest Is Politics: US, 2026-10-22 (28:33 to 30:25)
    Reads the prediction markets instead of polls
    Scaramucci reads the prediction markets rather than the polls: Brown at 66 to 70 percent, up since mid-October and up further since Trump's Husted riff. Argues a Canada trade deal would have done more for Husted than the rally lines.
    New angle: Prediction markets put Sherrod Brown at 66 to 70 percent in the Ohio Senate race, rising since mid-October.
  4. The Headlines, 2026-10-30 (12:08 to 13:23)
    Ranks Ohio first in Senate ad spending
    A news quiz segment names Michigan, Texas and Ohio as the three Senate races drawing the most ad money, with Ohio topping the list at almost $500 million. It restates the Ohio spending figure already on the record.
Unpacking...