Democratic leaders are lauding Ohio's Sherrod Brown now that he's launched his 2026 campaign to return to the U.S. Senate.

Democrat Sherrod Brown is back in the ring. This time, he will trade political blows with Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Mike DeWine this past January. The 72-year-old Brown, regarded by Ohio Democrats as their heaviest hitter, lost the seat he held for three terms to businessman Bernie Moreno last November.