Sherrod Brown holds narrow lead over GOP rivals in Ohio: Poll

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is leading all three of his main Republican rivals in the Ohio Senate race, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey showed Brown leading Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) 39 percent to 33 percent. In a hypothetical match-up with Brown and Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno, Brown leads 39 percent to 34 percent.

When Brown and state Sen. Matt Dolan (R) are paired together in a match-up, Brown edges past Dolan 37 percent to 34 percent — just outside of the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

The poll also finds Dolan leading his three Republican rivals when polled together, with Dolan receiving 26 percent, Moreno at 23 percent and LaRose at 16 percent. A separate 32 percent are undecided.

“Overall, Dolan is the third candidate to lead the Republican Primary ballot this year in Emerson polls: LaRose led in November, Moreno surged in January, and now Dolan has the voters’ attention,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a press release. “The shifting winds have left a significant number of undecided voters in their wake with about a week until the election.”

Dolan has notched recent endorsements from Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and former Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) while Moreno has received the backing of Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

Brown is one of two Democratic senators running for reelection in states Trump won in 2020, with Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) being the other. Brown’s seat is seen as a potential pickup opportunity for Republicans who see a favorable Senate map this election cycle.

But Brown has demonstrated strong fundraising numbers, including raising close to $5.7 million in the first two months of 2024.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Brown’s seat as a “toss up.”

The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey in Ohio was conducted March 7-10 with 1,300 registered voters surveyed. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.