Ohio is home to one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the nation.
GOP Sen. Jon Husted will face former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Libertarian Bill Redpath in the Nov. 3 election. The race has attracted millions of dollars in outside spending and could help determine which party controls the Senate during the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.
Also on the ballot is Greg Levy, an independent.
Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted, his former lieutenant governor, after JD Vance vacated his Senate seat to become vice president in early 2025. The winner in November will serve out the rest of Vance's term, which ends in January 2029.
We asked the official party candidates − Husted, Brown and Redpath − where they stand on key
issues. Here's what they said.
How can Congress lower the cost of living for Ohioans?
Affordability is top of mind for Ohio voters this year as they struggle with the cost of groceries and high gas prices linked to the war in Iran.
Husted backed sweeping legislation signed by Trump last year that eliminated taxes on tips and overtime, increased the Child Tax Credit and expanded work requirements for food assistance and Medicaid. The law is projected to save Ohioans an average of $3,173 this year, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation, but that number will decrease over time.
Husted spokesperson Amy Natoce said the senator wants to streamline the permitting process for energy infrastructure, which he believes will lead to quicker development and lower energy costs.
He's also sponsoring a bill that aims to eliminate the benefits cliff, when recipients of food, housing or child care assistance lose aid because of a pay increase. The measure would allow states, including Ohio, to create pilot programs that help people gradually come off government assistance.
Brown contends Husted hasn't done enough to help people get ahead and said the tax law prioritizes high earners over middle-class families. He said the U.S. needs to end its war with Iran to bring down gas and fertilizer costs that are squeezing farmers, truckers and other Ohioans.
"Ohio workers are more productive than ever, but no matter how hard they work, their pay doesn’t keep up," Brown said in a statement. "Too often they simply can't get ahead. In the Senate, I'll always fight to make life more affordable for hardworking Ohioans, including by cutting taxes for working families, not billionaires and corporations."
Redpath said the federal government "needs to get its outrageous overspending problem under control" to curb inflation.
Do you support Trump's tariffs?
Since Trump took office in January 2025, he's imposed tariffs on U.S. trading partners and goods ranging from steel to Irish whiskey. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Trump didn't have the authority to impose sweeping tariffs, but some of them are still in place.
That includes a 50% tariff on wine, dairy, hockey sticks and other Canadian exports to the United States, which prompted Canada to enact retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, USA TODAY reported.
Tariffs have cost Ohio an estimated $11 billion since January 2025, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, or roughly $2,200 per household.
Brown and Redpath oppose Trump's tariffs. Natoce said Husted supports "boosting access to foreign markets" while ensuring Ohio businesses are treated fairly and promoting trade deals that counter the transshipment of Chinese exports.
"Ohio relies on the relationship with trading partners like Canada, but it's got to be fair," Husted told reporters in August. "I hear from businesses all the time. They want predictability, but they also don't want to have China using countries like Canada to import products into Canada and then moving them into America."
How would you make health care more affordable?
The 2025 tax law will require most adult Medicaid recipients under 65 to prove they worked, volunteered or attended school at least 80 hours per month − which could lead to a drop in enrollment. It also included $50 billion to help rural hospitals that serve more Medicaid patients and could be hit hardest by cuts.
Congress allowed enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to expire at the end of last year, causing premiums to increase. Around 161,000 Ohioans lost or dropped coverage from February 2025 to February 2026.
Brown said Congress should revive the expired subsidies.
Husted introduced a bill that would extend the enhanced tax credits for two years but require a $5 minimum monthly payment for enrollees that aims to reduce fraud. He also spearheaded a new law that requires the Food and Drug Administration to streamline its process for making prescription drugs available over-the-counter.
"Husted was not in Congress when Sherrod Brown and Democrats created the broken ACA system or the Biden COVID subsidies, but he has worked to be part of a thoughtful solution to make health care more affordable for American families," Natoce said.
Redpath said the government needs to remove regulatory barriers, eliminate "unnecessary prescription requirements" and recognize medicines and medical devices that are approved in other countries.
Do rural hospitals need more help?
Natoce called the rural hospital funding "one of the most consequential steps that Congress has taken to support rural health care in years." Ohio received more than $200 million, according to DeWine's office.
But Brown said the money doesn't go far enough to help health care providers that are already bearing the brunt of Medicaid cuts.
"These hospitals are a lifeline for their communities, especially for low-income families," Brown said. "When we talk about access to affordable health care, we have to include rural hospitals and the people they serve in those conversations. This will continue to be a priority for me in the Senate."
Should Ohio ban data centers?
Data centers are front and center in the Senate race as Brown criticizes Husted for championing them as lieutenant governor. A memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned data centers could be "the anchor hanging around Husted's neck."
Brown, for his part, applauded Amazon's plans to build a data center in central Ohio in a 2015 news release.
None of the candidates support a statewide moratorium on data centers.
"The public is understandably frustrated with their local governments signing non-disclosure agreements, using eminent domain and giving tax breaks and other sweetheart deals to stimulate data center construction," Redpath said. "A ban on data centers is asking the government to fix problems that it helped cause."
Brown wants data centers to foot the bill for their electricity and opposes "out-of-control tax giveaways" for companies that build them. Tech behemoths including Amazon and Meta secured decades-long sales tax breaks under former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and benefit from property tax abatements awarded by local governments.
Husted is advocating for legislation that would require state regulators to consider a policy blueprint to make large-load data centers pay for their power. It doesn't require them to ultimately adopt those rules.
Redpath said data center regulation should be handled by states, not the federal government.
Do you support Trump's immigration policies?
Immigration has become a hot-button issue since Trump took office in 2025 and directed an at-times deadly crackdown on undocumented immigrants. While the administration pledged to target criminals, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained people with no criminal record.
Ohio is also in the crosshairs of Trump's efforts to restrict legal pathways into the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the administration to eliminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, which affects thousands of people in Springfield. Some of them are now fitted with ankle monitors.
Husted supports Trump's agenda and has accused Brown of backing policies that sowed chaos at the southern border. Natoce said Husted believes immigration law − including TPS and birthright citizenship − "should be implemented as it was intended" and pointed to the Supreme Court rulings on those issues.
"Ohio families deserve a fighter in the U.S. Senate who will put their safety and well-being first, and stand up for the rule of law – not with dangerous criminals," Natoce said.
As a senator, Brown opposed a Trump executive order to deport undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes and withhold federal funding from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions. At the same time, he backed bills to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, enhance penalties for human smuggling and fund border security technology and personnel.
Brown said he agrees with DeWine that Springfield's Haitian community "plays a key role in helping our local economies thrive" and should have their TPS extended.
"I, of course, support deportation of those people who have committed a serious crime," Brown told reporters in August. "Beyond that, I want to see us work out a real policy on immigration where people who have been in this country and worked hard and paid their taxes can continue to contribute to society."
Should the federal government impose new voting rules?
The Senate remains deadlocked over the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship to register and impose nationwide photo ID rules at the polls. Husted, a former Ohio secretary of state, is a staunch supporter of the bill and pushed for the Senate to consider a standalone photo ID measure.
Redpath opposes the SAVE America Act. Brown didn't directly address the legislation but said he's against "any efforts to sow distrust in our election systems."
"We want to make sure that Ohioans' votes are counted, which means allowing folks to vote early, mail in their ballots and vote on Election Day," said Brown, who also served as secretary of state in Ohio.
The SAVE America Act isn't the only source of debate over elections in Washington. Trump tried to overhaul the mail-in voting system and empower the U.S. Postal Service to block ballots that don't follow his proposed rules. The Supreme Court blocked the executive order from taking effect before the November midterms.
"The president recognizes that voter fraud is something that has undermined confidence in our elections," Natoce said. "Portions of his recent efforts related to federal elections, like verifying citizenship and mandating states check their voter rolls, are common sense. Implementable mail-in ballot reforms require input from states."
Do Flock cameras need more oversight?
The use of automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras, is sparking concern in Ohio and nationwide about privacy and abuse by law enforcement.
Redpath said state and local governments should decide what to do about Flock. Natoce said Husted would consider "thoughtful legislative options" such as regulating the placement of Flock cameras in communities with key national security sites.
Brown said Flock cameras are "another example of corporations taking control over our communities" and wants more facts about what's happening with them.
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Economy, data centers dominate Ohio Senate race. See where the candidates stand
