Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio's special U.S. Senate election, the Associated Press projected, completing a political comeback two years after losing his seat.

The race carried particular weight in Delaware County, where Brown led in unofficial returns on election night, according to cleveland.com. Democrats had targeted the county as a place to improve on their recent statewide showings.

Delaware County's population has grown nearly 40% since 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. That growth has reshaped the political landscape in communities like Powell and Liberty Township. President George W. Bush won Delaware County with 66% of the vote in 2004. Two decades later, President Donald Trump won with about 53% of the vote, according to 10TV.

University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven said Delaware County no longer fits the profile of a rural Republican stronghold.

"This is not the prototypical rural Ohio county where farming is the major concern," Niven said. "These are folks who obviously, you know, their population has grown. They need more government services. They need more schools."

Both sides were watching Delaware County results closely. "Folks on both sides of the political aisle are going to be watching Delaware results, and they are going to feel a world a lot better if their party wins Delaware County," Niven said.

Delaware County voters also backed Issue 1, the 2023 constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights, with 59% of the vote.

A costly comeback

Brown, 73, served three terms in the U.S. Senate before Republican Bernie Moreno defeated him 50.1% to 46.5% in 2024. He won the 2026 Democratic primary with 89.4% of the vote, according to NBC4.

The Nov. 3 special election was required after Republican JD Vance resigned his Senate seat to become vice president in January 2025. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Husted, then Ohio's lieutenant governor, to fill the vacancy on Jan. 17, 2025. The winner will serve the remaining two years of Vance's term, which expires in January 2029.

Brown will need to run again in 2028 to keep the seat, NPR reported.

Data centers loomed large

Data center development emerged as a defining issue. Brown attacked Husted's record of promoting data center investment while lieutenant governor and called for developers to cover their own utility costs.

A leaked National Republican Senatorial Committee memo obtained by the Ohio Capital Journal called data centers "the anchor hanging around Husted's neck."

Husted introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would have required state utility commissions to consider making data centers pay for their own energy use. The bill passed the U.S. House but fell short in the Senate, according to 10TV.

Big money defined the contest

Advertising spending and reservations surpassed $500 million, according to AdImpact, as reported by cleveland.com. Through Sept. 30, Brown's campaign reported raising $61.7 million. Husted's campaign reported $19.2 million, according to NBC4.

Outside spending tilted heavily toward Husted. Federal Election Commission filings through Oct. 19 showed $198.5 million in outside spending benefiting Husted and $94.7 million benefiting Brown. The cryptocurrency industry spent about $54 million supporting Husted, Spectrum News 1 reported. Elon Musk funneled more than $7 million to independent groups backing Husted, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.

Brown is the seventh former U.S. senator since 1946 to lose a seat and later return to the chamber, according to NPR.