Ohio's U.S. Senate race is dead heat
Health insurance is a No. 1 big concern for voters
COLUMBUS — A new poll by a GOP firm has former Ohio Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown two points up on incumbent Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted in the 2026 Election.
On the issue of health care, it also showed that insurance premiums, deductibles, and copayments were the biggest concerns.
The same poll found that veteran Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins tied with two Democrats in a ranked-choice contest for a seat in Maine.
As in Ohio, voters there said costs related to insurance was their biggest health concern.
The races are closely watched. With President Donald Trump’s declining popularity, what had been a difficult map for Democrats now shows that a chance at winning a majority might be coming within reach.
The phone poll was conducted by OnMessage Public Strategies from March 3-8. In each state 600 likely voters were surveyed.
With a four-point margin of error, Brown was up 47-45 on Husted. Eight percent were undecided.
With 42% supporting her, Collins was down two points to Graham Platner, a Democrat, and tied with Janet Mills, also a Democrat. About 15% were undecided.
The New York Times Poll Tracker showed Husted with consistent leads in surveys conducted last year. But he and Brown are running neck-and-neck in the three conducted so far in 2026.
As interesting as the horse race are the poll’s findings regarding health care.
Respondents were asked which part of the health care system gave them the most problems.
In Ohio, 37% said insurance companies, 14% said pharmaceutical companies, 12% said hospital systems and 6% said drug middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers.
Responses were similar among Maine voters.
Each of the three largest drug middlemen is owned by a major insurer, so while respondents were citing different issues with the health care system, many likely were having separate problems with the same companies.
Respondents in Ohio and Maine seemed to clearly say what irked them most about the health system. They were asked what would be most helpful in bringing down health care costs and given several choices.
“Cracking down on health insurance companies for price gouging, raising premiums, and denying coverage” was by far the top pick, with 37% saying so in Ohio and 40% in Maine.
Given voters’ concern with health care, Husted and Collins are likely to face questions in the coming months.
Pandemic-era subsidies to get insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges expired late last year as the vast majority of Republicans voted against renewing them.
Prices spiked, enrollment dropped and an estimated 4.8 million Americans are expected to lose health coverage altogether this year, according to the Urban Institute.
Husted, who had earlier voted against extending the subsidies, in December proposed freezing spending at its current level and extending them for two years — effectively a cut for those receiving them.
Collins was one of four Republicans to vote for an effort to extend subsidies for three years. But earlier last year, she voted against an extension.
Collins and Ohio’s other U.S. senator, Republican Bernie Moreno, proposed a two-year extension with its own limitations.
None of the proposals received the 6o votes needed and the subsidies expired
.