AFP Action Continues to Fight for Sen. Jon Husted Ahead of Special Election in Ohio

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—With the midterms less than five months away, Americans for Prosperity Action is engaged in another ad campaign in support of Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, ahead of his special election.

Husted, who was appointed to office by Gov. Mike DeWine in January 2025 to replace Vice President JD Vance, is facing former Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost a race in 2024 to now-Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno.

The latest ads focus on Brown’s establishment candidate status and record in Ohio, as well as a “new normal” of higher prices that Brown would have to offer.

Husted, of course, is depicted as offering a different path forward.

The ads began on June 2 and will last through June 30. AFP Action spent $1.75 million on the ad buy, with $750,000 for digital/streaming and $1 million for cable and broadcast TV. The group expects to reach about 1.75 million individuals.

As the ads suggest, AFP Action is focused on affordability. Donovan O’Neil, a senior advisor for AFP Action, told the Daily Signal that this is the group’s “top-tier issue.”

“What everything comes back to … is affordability and making sure families—working families, in particular, in a blue-collar state like Ohio—have somebody fighting for them in Washington,” O’Neil said.

O’Neil said Brown has been in Washington for decades and “consistently voted for policies that made gas prices, among many other things, more expensive.” He added that the ads “help drive that message and complement the work our teams have been doing.”

O’Neil also said voters in Ohio are frustrated and need to see a contrast between the two candidates to help inform their vote in November.

“They want to know that the person they’re voting for has affordability at the top of mind,” O’Neil explained, and that there’s a reason why “they retired him two years ago.”

During his earlier work in the Ohio Statehouse as speaker, Husted focused on education and cutting taxes. As Ohio’s secretary of state, and also as lieutenant governor, he worked to ease regulations on businesses.

O’Neil says AFP supports Husted especially for his role in the Working Families Tax Cuts and permitting reform. “Sen. Husted’s been at the forefront of the issues that he knows Washington hasn’t been able to solve yet, and he’s committed to staying focused on those solutions,” he offered.

The Cook Political Report regards the race between Husted and Brown as a “toss-up.” The winner of the special election will be up for reelection again in 2028.