A new Fox News poll is flashing warning signs for Republicans in one of the country’s most important Senate races, and for Donald Trump as well.
According to the survey released Wednesday, Democrat Sherrod Brown holds an eight-point lead over Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio’s high-stakes Senate contest, a race that could ultimately determine which party controls the U.S. Senate after November.
If the election were held today, 53 percent of Ohio voters say they would support Brown, compared to 45 percent for Husted.
That’s a significant advantage in a state that has trended Republican in recent years and one that Trump carried comfortably in his previous campaigns.
The poll also delivered more bad news for Trump. Only 42 percent of Ohio voters said they view the president favorably, while 57 percent expressed an unfavorable opinion. Those numbers suggest growing dissatisfaction with Trump as Americans continue grappling with rising prices and economic uncertainty.
And that dissatisfaction may be spilling over onto Republican candidates tied closely to him.
Nearly half of Ohio voters surveyed said Husted is too closely aligned with Trump, a potentially damaging perception as voters increasingly focus on economic issues that have dominated headlines for months.
For many Ohioans, the issue isn’t complicated.
Forty-three percent identified inflation and high prices as the most important factor influencing their Senate vote—far ahead of healthcare at 12 percent and immigration at 11 percent.
That’s a troubling sign for Republicans, who spent years attacking Democrats over inflation but now find themselves defending an administration facing voter frustration over soaring costs.
Brown, meanwhile, appears to be benefiting from his long-standing reputation as a populist Democrat focused on working-class issues. After narrowly losing his Senate seat in 2024, he’s attempting a political comeback at a moment when economic anxiety is once again dominating voters’ concerns.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher.
Republicans currently hold only a narrow Senate majority, meaning a Democratic victory in Ohio could play a pivotal role in determining which party controls the upper chamber. In a closely divided Senate, a single seat could make the difference between advancing or blocking a president’s agenda.
And if this Fox News poll is any indication, Ohio voters may be sending Republicans a message they don’t want to hear.
For all the attention paid to culture wars and partisan battles, many voters appear focused on a far simpler question: Are they better off than they were before?
Right now, the numbers suggest a growing share of Ohioans aren’t convinced.
