The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) political action committee on Friday announced its support for former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio in his campaign to regain his Senate seat in the 2026 special election.
Brown lost his shot at a fourth term by more than 3.5% in the 2024 general election to Republican Bernie Moreno. Brown received 2.54% more votes in Ohio than Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the presidential race, although it was not enough to win.
The current race is for the Senate seat vacated by J.D. Vance in January 2025, when Vance became vice president of the United States. Gov. Mike Dewine appointed Lt. Gov. John Husted to temporarily fill Vance’s Senate seat. Brown, a Democrat, will face Husted, a Republican, in a 2026 special election that will finish out the remainder of the Senate term (ending in 2028).
HRC President Kelley Robinson praised Brown as an “Ohio state champion.”
“From increasing access to health care to ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive, Brown’s tireless support is a reminder that true public service leaves no one behind,” Robinson said in a press release announcing the endorsement.
Robinson criticized President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress for using the lives of LGBTQ+ people “as a political wedge in their bid to divide and conquer the country.”
“This election is our chance to stand up and send a message: that freedom should belong to all of us,” Robinson said.
For his part, Brown said he was proud of HRC’s support and that Ohioans “deserve a senator who fights to protect equal opportunity for all, not one who puts them even further out of reach.”
“I will always defend the rights of all Ohioans and ensure they can live without discrimination,” Brown said in a statement.
HRC noted Brown’s commitment to pro-LGBTQ+ policies, including:
- A resolution was passed to recognize June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
- After years of supporting marriage equality, I voted for the Respect for Marriage Act 2022.
- Supported LGBTQ+ veterans by calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve data collection on LGBTQ+ veterans to ensure health disparities and other inequities are adequately addressed.
- I voted against the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and against the federal marriage amendment, which would have banned same-sex marriage in every state.
“Key Congressional Race”
LGBTQ+ leaders in Ohio noted the importance of this race as the 2026 midterm elections could potentially shift the balance of power in Washington away from the Republican-controlled Congress.
Dwayne Steward, Executive Director of Equality, Ohiosaid the organization is excited to see a candidate like Brown in this race, especially given recent legislative attacks on transgender Americans.
“We need to fight now more than ever to ensure that Ohio sends someone to Congress who will truly support us,” Steward said.
Equality Ohio honored Brown, his Pulitzer Prize-winning wife Connie Schultz and their entire family awarded by this organization with the Legacy Ally Award 2025 in October during their 20th anniversary fundraiser.
“At this event, Senator Brown’s daughter, Elizabeth Brown, stated that the treatment of the transgender community at this time is immoral and reaffirmed her family’s commitment to equality for all,” Steward said. “We hope that Senator Brown will introduce this same provision in his campaign and potentially return it to Congress.”
Arienne Childrey, vice president for Ohio Democratic Party Pride Caucussaid Brown is a sturdy alternative to his opponent and would do more for LGBTQ+ people, “feeling pressure from rising costs, exacerbated by policies that put profits before people.”
“While Republicans fight divisive culture wars that tear us apart, [Brown] is about bringing people together and fighting for working families against the special interests that make everyday life more difficult and expensive,” Childrey said.
“Focus on the problems”
Brown was criticized by LGBTQ+ leaders during the 2024 election an ad he released in response to the words of his Republican opponent, US senator Bernie MorenoBrown said the vote for transgender girls and women in women’s sports is “a complete lie.”
Rather than detailing the inaccuracies regarding transgender people in Moreno’s ad, Brown’s response suggested that transgender participation in sports should be left to individual sports leagues.
Dara Adkison – Executive Director of the Transgender Support Group TransOhio – told The Buckeye Flame that these ads have not been forgotten.
“In 2024, both Brown and Moreno ran disgusting anti-trans ads. We hope that in 2026, both Brown and Husted can focus on the issues affecting Ohioans that need attention, not transphobic bigotry,” Adkison said. “Transgender people in Ohio would like to be left alone to run our lives.”
Ohio Democratic Party Pride Caucus Chairman Kyle Herman similarly expressed hope that Brown would be able to focus on these issues.
“Queer Ohioans share the concerns of all Ohioans who are suffering from an affordability crisis caused by Republican policies that cater to corrupt elites at our expense,” Herman said. “We hope Sherrod will offer bold solutions that will lower the cost of living for major expenses such as housing, health care and energy.”🔥
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