Thune calls Ohio race 'ground zero' in 'knife fight' for Senate while rallying with Husted

Thune frames Senate stakes

At a Tuesday night campaign event in Lima, Ohio, Thune said the state could determine which party controls the Senate. He appeared with Husted, the Republican nominee, and argued that holding the majority would allow the Trump administration to continue its work.

After remarks by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Thune praised Oz’s efforts against waste, fraud and abuse. He said Husted’s election was necessary for that work to continue, describing Ohio as a Senate “firewall.”

Thune warned that Democrats could use congressional investigative powers against Trump and Cabinet members if they won control. He also said a Democratic House could impeach the president, and argued that a Republican Senate majority would limit the length of any impeachment trial.

Thune praises Husted, attacks Brown

Thune criticized Husted’s Democratic opponent, former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who served in the Senate from 2007 until 2025. Brown lost his 2024 reelection bid to Republican Bernie Moreno.

Thune called Brown a “rubber stamp” for Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, and urged Ohioans to keep Husted in the Senate. He praised Husted’s record in the Ohio legislature and as lieutenant governor, citing tax cuts and other work.

Thune also pointed to border security, saying no one had been released into the country illegally in 17 months. He ended by describing the contest as a “knife fight” and urging voters to turn out.

Husted urges voters to act

Husted told the crowd that the race would be close and that voters’ actions mattered. He compared the campaign’s final stretch to the fourth quarter of a football game and urged supporters not to be discouraged.

A Fox News survey of likely Ohio voters found Brown at 52% and Husted at 47%. The candidates and several other political figures did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.