Brown leads Husted in Ohio Senate race, governor race close, poll finds
A new Fox News poll indicates strong opposition among Ohio voters to the construction of local AI data centers, with 65% against them. This sentiment is widespread across Democratic, Independent, and Republican voters. The poll also details the standings in Ohio's 2026 Senate and gubernatorial races, with data center opposition emerging as a notable voter concern.
A recent Fox News poll, conducted between May 28 and June 1, reveals that former Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown holds an 8-point lead over Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the 2026 Ohio Senate race, with Brown at 53% and Husted at 45%. The poll surveyed 1,015 registered Ohio voters and shows Brown's support strong among younger voters, women, independents, and nonwhite voters, while Husted performs best with white evangelical Christians, rural voters, and white men without a college degree.
In the Ohio governor's race, Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy are virtually tied, with Acton slightly ahead at 50% to Ramaswamy's 49%. The poll suggests that in Ohio, a state won by President Donald Trump in 2024, an association with Trump may now be a liability for candidates.
Economic anxiety, particularly inflation, is the top issue for 43% of Ohio voters, with those focused on inflation and healthcare favoring Brown. However, the poll also highlights significant public sentiment against technology infrastructure, reporting that Ohio voters oppose building AI data centers in their communities by more than a 2-to-1 margin (65% oppose, 32% favor). This opposition spans across all major political affiliations: Democrats, independents, and Republicans.
About seven in 10 voters across both races expressed certainty in their choices, though a quarter remain undecided. Both the Ohio U.S. Senate special election and the Ohio governor’s race are scheduled for November 3, 2026.