Democrats win Senate control as Sherrod Brown flips Ohio seat back from Republicans

Democrats regain the Senate

Democrats have regained control of the US Senate, winning in states including South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Kansas, according to the Associated Press. The Guardian reports the result gives Democrats leverage to hold up Donald Trump's legislative agenda as well as his cabinet and federal judicial appointments, including to the Supreme Court, where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority. Together with their likely win in the House of Representatives, Democrats are expected to hold full control of Congress from next year, for the first time since 2022.

Vote counting continues in Minnesota, Michigan, Maine and Alaska, where the result may take days to be decided. Republicans failed to unseat Democrats in New Hampshire and Georgia, a state that backed Trump in 2024. Republicans had held a 53-seat Senate majority after the 2024 election.

Brown's return to Washington

Brown, a former senator, won the Ohio race according to Associated Press projections, defeating incumbent Republican Jon Husted. He will serve the remainder of the term JD Vance held, which runs until January 2029. Husted was appointed to the seat in 2025 after Vance became vice president and had backed Trump's second-term policies, including tax cuts, the Iran war and tariffs.

The race was one of the most expensive of the cycle, with reported spending estimates ranging from more than $400 million (AdImpact) to more than $500 million. Brown ran on labour union ties and the cost of living, and attacked Husted over his support for data centers. Brown, 73, will be the first former senator to return to the chamber after losing a seat since Slade Gorton in 1988.

Campaign strategy and Republican response

The Washington Post reported that the National Republican Senatorial Committee had warned in August that the data center attacks were hurting Husted. Axios reported that Republicans spent upward of $200 million on advertising in Ohio to defend Husted, and that the Cook Political Report had rated the race a toss-up in April.

“Brown's victory is shown as a sign of his strengths with working-class voters, according to commentary.”

A New York Times opinion column argued that Brown's focus on economic concerns and his appeal to working-class voters were central to his win.

AdImpact, total race spending400

Axios, Republican spending to defend Husted200

AdImpact, total race spending

400 USD millions

Axios, Republican spending to defend Husted

200 USD millions

Data from the article text

What it means for Trump

The New York Times described the result as a significant blow to Trump and the Republican Party, which had invested more resources in this race than in all but one other contest in the most expensive cycle in modern history.