Trump Favorability Falls in Ohio Amidst Tight Senate Race

PRRI Home
Election Update

Trump Favorability Falls in Ohio Amidst Tight Senate Race 

08.05.2026

In Ohio, a state that has leaned Republican in recent years, a downturn in Trump support provides hope for Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown.

Amidst the tight Ohio Senate race between Republican Sen. Jon Husted and former Senator and Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown, The Hill reports that Trump support in the state has dropped.

In a late May Fox News poll of Ohio voters, 42% of respondents said they either felt “strongly” or “somewhat” favorable toward Trump, down 5 points from October 2020. Fifty-seven percent of the respondents said they either felt “somewhat” or “strongly” unfavorable toward the president, up 5 points from October 2020.

Data from our recent American Identity Survey similarly finds a decline in statewide Trump favorability, from 45% in 2025 to 38% in May 2026 among Ohioans.

Ohio Residents’ Views of President Trump

The state has become increasingly Republican in recent years, with Ohio Trump favorability rising from 31% in 2022 to 45% in 2025. Among Ohio Republicans, 84% held a favorable view at the end of Trump in 2025, an increase from 73% in 2022. Accordingly, Brown lost his Senate seat in 2024 for the first time in 18 years to Trump-endorsed Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, who cast Brown as “too liberal for Ohio.” Nevertheless, it seems as though the recent downturn in Trump favorability could improve Brown’s chances of winning.  

This data comes from a PRRI survey of 877 Ohio residents that was conducted online between February 28 and December 8, 2025. The margin of error is +/- 4.3 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence. Learn more about the PRRI American Values Atlas methodology here.