The Akron Beacon Journal editorial board has endorsed former Sen. Sherrod Brown over incumbent Sen.
Jon Husted in Ohio's U. S.
Senate race.
In an October 16, 2026, editorial, the board pointed to household affordability, public accountability, and the distribution of economic gains as deciding factors.
The endorsement argued that Brown's record on workers and his approach to executive oversight better address the state's current challenges.
Economic Concerns and Voter Priorities
The editorial cited a Suffolk University/USA TODAY Ohio poll in which almost one in four Ohioans named the economy and inflation as their top election issue.
The same poll found growing skepticism toward tax breaks for data centers, which have contributed to Ohio's economic growth in recent years.
The board acknowledged Husted's record of supporting economic development through tax reform, investment attraction, and job creation in state government and the U.
S. Senate.
Still, it questioned whether his emphasis on expanding the economy adequately addresses financial pressures facing households struggling with grocery and gasoline costs.
The board also highlighted Husted's proposed Upward Mobility Act, which would gradually move people off government assistance as incomes rise instead of imposing an abrupt cutoff.
The editorial supported the proposal and said it could advance regardless of the election outcome.
Another concern involved billions of dollars in incentives tied to data centers.
Husted has emphasized the jobs and investment these facilities bring, while the board questioned whether Ohio taxpayers receive sufficient returns from the incentives.
The newspaper also questioned Husted's independence from President Donald Trump, arguing his record showed more compliance than opposition despite several instances of disagreement.
It cited his involvement in the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow online charter school collapse and the House Bill 6 nuclear bailout scandal, as well as his continued support for school vouchers.
The editorial noted that Ohio's school-choice program had expanded to $1 billion per year, although that expansion did not occur under Husted's direct leadership.
The board argued that taxpayer funding for vouchers raises concerns about resources being diverted from public schools.
Brown's Record and Calls for Oversight
Brown's record on manufacturing employment, labor unions, pension protections, housing affordability, higher wages, and corporate accountability formed the central basis for the endorsement.
The newspaper also cited his work helping secure relief for workers whose multiemployer pension plans faced potentially deep cuts.
Brown lost his Senate seat in 2024 and, for the first time in more than 30 years, found himself outside elected office.
During discussions with editorial boards, he expressed frustration with what he viewed as a lack of independence among lawmakers in Washington.
"I've been incredulous at how so many members of Congress have no backbone," Brown said.
The editorial board said the next two years would require meaningful congressional oversight of the executive branch.
It pointed to Brown's opposition to Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, immigration policies, and environmental regulation rollbacks as evidence of his willingness to challenge the administration on specific issues.
Discussing what Democrats could accomplish if they regained control of the Senate, Brown said lawmakers could reverse policies he opposed.
"We can stop doing stupid things," Brown said. "Stupid things are this war, stupid things are these tariffs, stupid things are all the corruption."
The endorsement was written by Theresa Bennett, opinion and community engagement editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, on behalf of the newspaper's editorial board.
The publication distinguishes its editorials, which assess issues affecting local communities, from the work of its reporting staff, which seeks to maintain neutrality.
