Will Trump's Ohio Visit Rescue Jon Husted? What Polling Data Shows

President Donald Trump is set to visit Ohio on Saturday to campaign for Jon Husted, a candidate in a tight race against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. Recent polling indicates that Brown has a narrow lead over Husted, with his advantage being more pronounced among younger voters. A Quantus Insights poll from September 21-23 showed Brown leading Husted 51% to 31% among voters aged 18 to 29 and 50% to 39% among those aged 30 to 44.

Conversely, Husted leads among older voters. Husted's campaign declined to comment on the polling data, but emphasized their anticipation of President Trump's visit to Ohio, a state he has won decisively three times. Brown's campaign has yet to comment on the topic. Trump's visit to Vandalia, Ohio, is part of his broader strategy to campaign for Republicans in competitive races ahead of the November midterms.

Trump's approval among younger Americans in Ohio has waned, posing a challenge for Husted. A Civiqs poll found that 70% of 18- to 34-year-olds in Ohio disapprove of Trump's handling of his job, as do 62% of 35 to 49 year olds. However, exit poll data from the 2024 election suggest that Trump narrowly won voters aged 18 to 29 in Ohio by three percentage points, while losing voters aged 30 to 44 to Kamala Harris by one percentage point.

The latest polling data raise questions about the extent to which Trump can aid Husted in closing the gap with Brown among younger voters. Brown, a seasoned Ohio politician who has held the Senate seat since 2007, is seeking a comeback two years after losing his Senate seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024. Husted, another long-standing Ohio politician who took up the Senate seat in January 2025 following JD Vance's election as vice president, is also in the race.