President Trump won Ohio by eight points last year. Now only 43 percent of voters approve of his job. A new Fox News poll shows this shift hurts his party. Former Senator Sherrod Brown leads appointed Senator Jon Husted. Brown holds a five point advantage among likely voters. He sits at 52 percent support. Husted trails at 47 percent.
The gap is not just about party loyalty. It is about personal trust. Brown has a positive rating among voters. Fifty percent view him favorably. Husted faces a deeper problem. His rating is thirteen points underwater. Only 42 percent of voters like him. Fifty five percent do not. Voters are looking away from Husted.
Money matters create a heavy wind for Republicans. Roughly two and a half times as many voters say their finances are worse than two years ago. Forty six percent feel poorer. Only 19 percent feel richer. Those struggling financially back Brown by a huge margin. They favor him by 49 points. Voters who feel their money is better or the same support Husted. The financial divide is clear and sharp.
Gender splits the electorate in half. Women favor Brown by 14 points. Men support Husted by just four points. This creates an 18 point gender gap. Brown also wins younger voters and those with college degrees. He carries union members and city dwellers. Husted relies on rural communities. He holds a narrow edge among voters over 65. He also wins married voters and white men without degrees.
Independents are key to this race. Brown carries them by nearly two to one. Democrats stay loyal to Brown at 97 percent. Republicans stick with Husted at 90 percent. Some nine percent of Republicans cross over to Brown. Only two percent of Democrats choose Husted. Voters who dislike both candidates still prefer Husted. They back him by nearly 20 points.
Voters worry about extremes on both sides. Half of all voters think Brown is too liberal. Thirty percent are extremely concerned. Meanwhile 52 percent worry Husted is too close to Trump. Thirty eight percent are extremely concerned about this tie. The president’s low approval rating drags Husted down. A majority of 57 percent disapprove of Trump. Forty six percent strongly disapprove.
Early voting shows Brown’s strength. He leads by 29 points among those who already cast ballots. That is only 15 percent of Ohioans so far. Highly interested voters also lean toward Brown. They back him by nine points. The governor’s race mirrors the Senate split. Democrat Amy Acton leads Vivek Ramaswamy by two points. Women favor Acton by ten points. Men back Ramaswamy by seven points.
The poll was conducted in mid October 2026. It included interviews with over two thousand registered voters. Researchers used landlines and cellphones for calls. Some respondents completed surveys online. The margin of error is plus or minus two points. These numbers reflect a state in tension. Voters are watching their wallets and their leaders.