Democratic candidate for Senator of Ohio Sherrod Brown talks with a reporters from various news outlets on Oct. 6th, 2026. Credit: Michael Goulet | Campus Photo Editor.
United States Senate candidate Sherrod Brown visited the Franklin County Board of Elections Tuesday to cast his vote and speak to those who were present on the first day of early polling for the upcoming election.?
Joining a line of around 45 people soon after polls opened, Brown spoke to supporters after turning in his ballot.?
“When we got in this race 14 months ago, we decided we couldn’t look back five years from now and not having done this because it’s so important for our country and our state,” Brown said. “Back then, I was pretty sure I’d win. I was pretty sure we had a chance to take the Senate, but I’m way more sure [about] both those things after watching and seeing the direction you’re going in.”
Brown faces Republican incumbent Jon Husted in his bid to return to the U.S. Senate, after losing to GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024. Brown previously served in the senate from 2007 to 2025, with earlier tenures as Ohio Secretary of State and a state representative, according to his biography.?
When speaking to the media, Brown shared his opinions on data centers, voter engagement and? on the current state of the country. Brown also shared his experience on Ohio State’s campus Monday, including his perception of student satisfaction.?
“I was at Ohio State yesterday. Students are unhappy about costs,” Brown said. “When I bought my first house, the average first time home buyer was 29. Today it’s 41 and students understand the system is rigged against them. When they graduate, they want a chance to get ahead and they don’t see that opportunity they saw a generation ago.”?
Brown also said Husted does not have students’ best interests in mind.?
“Husted [is] not looking out for [them] at all,” Brown said. “And I will.”?
When Brown visited campus Monday to encourage students to register to vote and to vote early if they can, given some of the circumstances surrounding mail-in ballots, he said. Previously, mail-in ballots could be postmarked on Election Day and still count. Now, it needs to be received before Nov. 3.?
“I have seen people eager to vote and why not vote early,” Brown said. “It’s clear that the legislature wants to make it harder for people to vote. And I want to encourage people to come now and cast their votes.”
Spencer Dirrig, the vice president of government affairs for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund PAC, was one of the early voters present Tuesday morning.?
Dirrig also emphasized the need to vote, especially in close races like Ohio Senate seats and the governor race between Vivek Ramaswamy (R) and Dr. Amy Acton (D).?
“We have a real opportunity for the first time in this state in a very long time to change directions,” Dirrig said. “People are unhappy with the cost of gas, the cost of groceries, and frankly, they haven’t felt that they’ve been heard on the issue of data centers and our skyrocketing electricity bills. It really puts into perspective how important it is to get out and vote and make your voice heard, so that we can send a message that we’re not going to put up with this kind of stuff anymore.”
For students voting, Dirrig urged them to vote, especially with the impact student votes can have on a swing state.?
“[It] is such a privilege and such an exciting opportunity to be a student in this state this year,” Dirrig said. “If you’re a student at Ohio State, make sure to get out and vote. Come out here up to the early vote center or vote on campus… to make sure that we can win this state because students have the opportunity and the ability to be the [difference] between winning and losing in this state.”
