Fox Poll Showing Former Dem Senator Leading In Ohio Sparks Backlash

A new Fox News poll showing former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) with a sizable lead over GOP incumbent Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio is drawing skepticism from political observers who question whether the survey accurately reflects the state’s recent voting trends.

The poll, conducted between May 28 and June 1 among registered Ohio voters, found Brown leading Husted 53% to 45% in the race. Just 2% of respondents said they were undecided.

Husted was serving as Ohio’s lieutenant governor when he was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to fill the remainder of Vice President J.D. Vance’s term.

“There were many people who I considered very qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate to represent the State of Ohio, but I came to the conclusion that the best person to serve is a person who has been close to me for the last six years – a person who I work with almost daily –  and that is Lt. Governor Jon Husted,” the governor said in a press release.

“I have worked with him, I know he is knowledgeable, I know his heart, I know what he cares about, and I know his skills. All of that tells me he is the right person for the job,” DeWine continued.

The findings surprised many because Ohio has trended increasingly red in recent election cycles.

President Donald Trump carried the state by more than eight points in 2016, won it again by a similar margin in 2020 despite losing nationally, and expanded his victory margin to more than 11 points over Kamala Harris in 2024.

Those results have helped cement Ohio’s reputation as a reliably red state at the presidential level, making Brown’s eight-point lead in the Fox News survey particularly noteworthy.

Brown, who represented Ohio in the Senate from 2007 until his defeat by Sen. Bernie Moreno in 2024, is now attempting a political comeback.

According to the Fox News survey, Brown’s support extends across multiple voter groups. He led among both men and women and was tied with Husted among white voters at 49% each.

Brown posted particularly strong numbers among independents, moderates, and non-white voters. Among independent voters, he led Husted 53% to 35%, while moderates favored the Democrat by a 60% to 37% margin, according to the poll.

The poll also suggested Brown was attracting some crossover support. Thirteen percent of Republicans surveyed backed Brown, while 31% of non-MAGA Republicans said they supported him.

Among voters who backed Trump in 2024, Brown received support from 14%, according to the survey.

At the same time, Brown appeared to maintain strong support among Democratic voters. The poll found that 98% of Democrats backed the former senator, while Democratic enthusiasm also slightly outpaced Republican enthusiasm.

Eighty-two percent of Democrats said they were extremely or very motivated to vote in November compared with 76% of Republicans.

Meanwhile, Brown’s favorability rating stood at 53% positive and 44% negative. Husted posted a 41% favorable rating and a 50% unfavorable rating.

The survey also found Trump with a 42% favorable rating and a 57% unfavorable rating in Ohio, numbers that closely mirrored Husted’s standing.

Pollsters noted that more voters expressed concern that Husted was too closely aligned with Trump than those who believed Brown’s positions were too liberal.

Inflation and high prices ranked as voters’ top concern at 43%, followed by healthcare at 12%, immigration and border security at 11%, political divisions at 9%, jobs at 8%, Iran at 7%, and both abortion and crime at 4%.

The results quickly generated pushback online.

Critics argued that the survey’s findings do not align with Ohio’s recent voting history.

“If you think Ohio is shifting 12 points to the left then I have a bridge to sell you,” one user wrote on X.

Another commenter criticized Fox News’ polling operation, writing, “Fox is an atrocious state level pollster and this poll is no exception.”

Others expressed disbelief that Brown could be outperforming Husted by such a large margin while Republicans continue to perform strongly statewide.

One social media user wrote, “Close governor’s race but Senate race by likely Dem margins? Tf is this poll lmao,” Trending Politics reported.