After serving as the state's lieutenant general for six years, Jon Husted (R) was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine (R) in early 2025 to fill the unexpired term of now Vice President JD Vance.
His initial reception as senator was largely conventional. Critics saw a predictable extension of GOP policy positions, but supporters saw a seasoned, dependable conservative.
Now, Sen. Husted has fallen behind in the polls against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who was defeated with the election of Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024.
According to the average of three polls compiled by 270toWin, Brown leads Husted by nearly a point and half. But Tom Zawistowski, president of the grassroots We the People Convention, says it is "way too early to tell" how the incumbent senator will fare in November.
"I think that people are focused on everything but that," he tells AFN. "A number haven't made up their mind in Ohio about that race, or any race for that matter, because we're at war, and people are occupied with that."
He says the SAVE America Act is also a priority for conservative voters in Ohio and elsewhere. The biggest thing they are about is why they should even vote if the Republicans fail to pass the legislation.
"You're going to let illegals vote. You're telling us that [Democrats] cheat; you know they cheat, and you're not going to do anything about it," Zawistowski summarizes.
"That's going to have more to do with what happens in November," he predicts.
He says the Republicans have got to deliver on some of these things. Otherwise, the result will be very bad.
"It just is," the conservative activist warns.
