A plume of smoke rises from an explosion that occurred on February 28, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Getty photo)
As President Donald Trump’s election war in the Middle East entered its fourth day on Tuesday, none of the three candidates running for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat expressed robust support for the controversial initiative.
One said he was praying for the service members and looked forward to hearing more. Another said the war was a threat to Ohioans and that Trump should instead focus on lowering the costs of groceries, health care and electricity.
A third candidate called for Trump’s impeachment.
After little or no consultation with Congress – or allies other than Israel – Trump set out bomb attack on Saturday regarding Iran. Fighting has now spread throughout the region, causing deaths six American soldiers, at least 11 Israelis, eight in other Gulf states and 787 in Iran.
Trump and his administration gave inconsistent answers when asked why they attacked and what their ultimate goals were. After repeatedly promising not to repeat a war of choice in the Middle East, Trump now says the current war could last five weeks or longer.
Polls so far show that between This is supported by 27% and 43% of Americans attacks. So Trump could difficulty in an election year convincing the public that he was wise.
While he tries, candidates in a special election for a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio are being asked for their opinions.
Republican Jon Husted was appointed to the position by Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2025, after J.D. Vance became vice president.
On Tuesday, his office was asked whether Husted supported the attack, whether he believed Congress had been properly consulted, what the goal should be and whether he believed U.S. ground troops should be involved in the fight.
In an email, a spokeswoman wrote that Husted would not have “additional comment pending receipt of information” beyond what wa said Saturday entry on X
“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has had ample opportunity to be a productive member of the global community,” Husted said.
“Instead, he chose to export death, terrorism, extremism and instability against America and our allies. He did it all while brutally persecuting his own people who longed for the freedom and prosperity they deserve but the regime refused to provide.”
Trump: ‘I could have helped Israel’ start war with Iran
Husted added: “Today, the president took action to address the threat Iran poses to America and global stability. I look forward to receiving detailed briefings and learning more from the administration in the coming days.”
Husted on Wednesday voted against the bill this would force Trump to seek congressional approval to continue the war.
Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, held Ohio’s second U.S. Senate seat until he was defeated in 2024 by Bernie Moreno.
Asking the same questions as Husted, Brown said the government had the wrong priorities.
“Ohioans are struggling with rising costs for groceries, health care and electric bills,” Brown wrote in an email.
“Meanwhile, Washington is determined to drag us into another conflict that threatens our nation’s security. We should be focused on lowering prices and putting money back into the pockets of Ohioans, not fighting another war in the Middle East.”
The libertarian candidate for this position was even more negative about Trump’s actions over the past few days.
In an emailed statement, Bill Redpath said Trump ignored the legal requirement to seek Congress’s opinion or bother to provide public feedback before unleashing the dogs of war.
“It is too late for Congress to assert its war powers in this conflagration, but it needs to be done in the future,” Redpath said.
“In the meantime, he must impeach President Donald J. Trump in the United States House of Representatives and convict him in the United States Senate of the highest crime of waging war – no matter how reprehensible a regime such as (Ayatollah Khamenei’s) murderous regime – without the consent of Congress.”
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