Once a swing state, does Ohio have any shades of purple left?

A recent poll by the Bowling Green State University Democracy and Public Policy Research Network suggests next year’s midterm races in Ohio could be very close.

Polling Overview

The survey, conducted last month among 800 registered Ohio voters, shows a tight contest in key races. Former Senator Sherrod Brown and current Senator Jon Husted are virtually tied in the race for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat.

In the governor’s race, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy holds a narrow lead over former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton and former U.S. Representative Ryan, who has not yet declared his candidacy. All these results fall within the poll’s 4.5% margin of error.

Insights from Experts

“Ohio will certainly be on many people's minds this time next year,” said Robert Alexander, political science professor at BGSU and one of the poll’s authors.

The poll also revealed a decline in President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Ohio voters, which may influence election outcomes. Generally, the president’s party tends to lose ground during midterms.

Alexander noted that dissatisfaction with the economy is a major concern for Ohio voters.

“A year ago, this was the big question: Who's going to bring down the price of eggs? And today, we see that 56% of all Ohioans are looking at the state of the country's economy and not feeling better about it than they did a year ago.”

Conclusion

Ohio remains a competitive battleground with voter sentiment closely tied to economic concerns and declining presidential approval ratings.

Author's Summary

Ohio’s midterm races are highly competitive, reflecting economic dissatisfaction and a drop in the president’s approval, keeping the state’s swing status uncertain.

The Statehouse News Bureau — 2025-11-04