Thune warns Ohio vote is key to saving Senate majority

52% of likely voters in Ohio currently support Democrat Sherrod Brown, according to a recent Fox News survey. That puts Brown ahead of Republican challenger Jon Husted, who polls at 47%. The election is scheduled for next Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Ohio the central battleground for controlling the Senate. He spoke at a campaign rally in Lima on Tuesday night. Thune stood beside Husted and Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Thune argued that Republicans must keep their majority to continue rooting out waste and fraud. He described the seat as a firewall for the United States Senate. If Democrats take the chamber, he said, President Trump will face opposition in both houses for two years. He warned that the primary activity would be investigations.

The Majority Leader pointed to signals from Democratic leaders in the House. Hakeem Jeffries and Gregory Meeks have indicated they will use subpoena power to investigate the president and his Cabinet. Meeks told the Associated Press in September that the committee would act like Congress and use its tools.

Thune predicted a Democratic House would impeach the president, leading to a Senate trial. He stated that the only difference between a 24-hour trial and a 24-month trial is a Republican majority. He criticized Brown, who served as Ohio's senator from 2007 until 2025, as a rubber stamp for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden.

Husted acknowledged the race is tight. He compared the situation to the fourth quarter of a football game. He urged Republican voters to turn out and not let the other side intimidate them. He asked the crowd if they would let themselves quit.

Thune also credited Husted with cutting taxes in Ohio during his time as a state legislator and lieutenant governor. He added that the border has been secured, noting no person has been released into the country illegally in 17 months. Jeffries, Meeks, Thune, Husted, and the Brown campaign did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.