COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- In his first TV interview since announcing his 2026 U.S. Senate bid, Sherrod Brown told NBC4 he didn't plan to run again, but "as this year wore on, this rigged system got worse."
The Democrat launched his comeback campaign on Monday, putting himself back in the national spotlight after narrowly losing re-election last year and setting the stage for a 2026 showdown against Republican Jon Husted. NBC4's Colleen Marshall was the first TV anchor to interview the 72-year-old since making his announcement.
"I spent I spent my whole career in public office, fighting against a rigged system," Brown said. "I didn't really ever expect to run for office again. As this year wore on, this rigged system got worse: 490,000 Ohioans will lose health insurance ... a huge tax cut driving a $3 trillion hole in the federal budget, and prices kept going up."
Ramaswamy sets Ohio record with $9 million for governor’s race; Acton at $1.4 millionBrown is running in a special election, which will determine who finishes the remainder of J.D. Vance's Senate term. Vance vacated the seat in January to become vice president, prompting Gov. Mike DeWine to appoint then-Lt. Gov. Husted to fill the vacancy. Watch Marshall's full interview with Brown below.
Multiple media outlets reported earlier in August that Brown would mount a Senate return, but the decision was a surprise given the former senator was also eyeing Ohio's 2026 gubernatorial race. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly met with Brown multiple times, urging him to face off against Husted as Democrats look to reclaim Senate control.
"We were hearing from lots of people ... what was unanimous is people saying things are getting worse in this country, things during the last few months are getting worse, prices are getting worse," said Brown. "I thought I could have the biggest impact in the Senate, in large part because we don't have a voice for Ohio workers in the United States Senate."
Supreme Court appeal reignites push to repeal Ohio’s same-sex marriage banHusted, a longtime fixture in Ohio Republican politics, officially launched his campaign earlier this year and has quickly consolidated GOP support, including an early endorsement from President Donald Trump. Husted has more than $2.6 million in campaign funds and the backing of national conservative organizations.
Brown said Husted has spent his career -- from serving as the speaker of the Ohio House, to lieutenant governor and now senator -- advocating "for wealth people and big corporations" by increasing the deficit and voting for tax cuts for billionaires and Medicaid cuts. He argued the Republican is "against the middle class and against public interest in Ohio."
"I have fought for workers no matter what job I held in elective office. As a congressman, as a senator, I've been one of the strongest voice for workers," said Brown. "[Husted's] been a strong voice for Wall Street. He's been a strong voice for the drug company. ... Do you want somebody who's been on the side of workers in the middle class and keeping prices down, or do you want somebody who's been on the side of Wall Street?"
Brown is starting financially fresh. The former senator finished 2024's race with $394,000 on hand, which he then funneled into a political action committee called "Dignity of Work." The effort coincided with Brown's creation in March of the Dignity of Work Institute, a nonprofit group to address working-class issues like low wages and home ownership.
Central Ohio Republican lawmaker vows to push back on DeWine effort to ban prop betsHis race against Moreno was the most expensive in the nation last fall, with a record-breaking $483 million spent, the highest for any nonpresidential election on record, according to AdImpact. Republicans cashed in $251 million for Moreno, while Democrats spent $232 million to boost Brown.
The winner of the 2026 race for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat will be completing Vance's original term, which runs through 2028. If that senator wants to serve a full six-year term, they will need to run again in 2028. Still, Brown said he runs for "these jobs knowing it's temporary and how important it is to perform." If he wins in 2026, Brown said he'll decided whether to run in 2028 at a later time.
"As I said, [my wife] Connie and I thought we were not running again. When we hear from people whose lives have gotten worse these last eight months and are going to get worse if we continue this direction -- closing rural hospitals, drug prices going up, and grocery prices going up -- that's why we got back in," said Brown. "That's why I want to continue this fight."
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