Republicans are calling out Democratic Senate primary candidate Sherrod Brown for recent comments on illegal immigration, with less than a week before Ohio's Tuesday primary election.
Brown served three terms in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, nearly two full decades, before losing his seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in November 2024. He is now seeking the seat of Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who was appointed to Vice President JD Vance's seat at the start of the second Trump administration.
In an interview last month, Brown said he supports closing the border to people who cross illegally. "I support closing the border to people so they just can't cross the border at will, but I also say we, of course, should be deporting people that have committed a crime, surely," Brown said in the interview.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans say Brown's voting record tells a different story than his recent comments.
"After shocking Ohioans in 2024 by claiming he only hears about illegal immigration from the far Right, Sherrod Brown is now desperate to return to Washington and continue the same Biden-era open border policies he supported for 32 years," said Husted campaign manager Drew Thompson in a statement to Signal Cleveland. "Jon Husted, on the other hand, is working to clean up Sherrod Brown's mess by funding border security, supporting border agents, and standing for the rule of law."
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also weighed in. NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia said: "Sherrod Brown's lies aren't going to trick Ohioans. They know Brown has fought for over half a century alongside liberals like Kamala Harris to open our borders and protect dangerous criminal illegals from deportation."
What the Left Is Saying
Brown's campaign has not immediately responded to requests for comment from Political Bytes. The candidate's recent framing positions him as supporting enforcement measures against those who enter illegally and criminals already in the country.
Immigration advocates within the Democratic Party have long argued that comprehensive reform, not border shutdowns, addresses the issue sustainably. They note that Brown has also supported pathways for legal immigration and argue his decades of experience working on agricultural and labor issues give him credibility on trade policy tied to border regions.
Brown's supporters point out that he is running in a competitive general election state where some crossover appeal may be necessary. Ohio is one of three races rated as a toss-up by The Cook Political Report, alongside Maine (Sen. Susan Collins re-election) and Michigan's open seat vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters.
What the Numbers Show
According to an analysis of public voting records by Fox News Digital, Brown voted at least 10 times to protect federal funding for sanctuary cities between his time in the House starting in 2001 through his third Senate term ending in 2024.
Brown also repeatedly opposed construction of a southern border wall. He called the idea "stupid," "wrong" and "ludicrous" at various points, arguing it would be ineffective.
The Husted campaign has announced a $1 million advertising buy for this week, despite running unopposed in the primary. The Ohio Senate race is expected to draw massive campaign dollars from both parties as they pursue control of the Senate majority.
The Bottom Line
Ohio's Senate seat represents one of the most competitive races of the 2026 election cycle. Cook Political Report rates it a toss-up, alongside only two other Senate races.
Brown will face questions about his record throughout the general election campaign, particularly from Republicans who say his decades-long positions on immigration are well-documented. His challenge is to convince Ohio voters that his recent comments represent a genuine shift or strategic positioning in a competitive state.
Husted, meanwhile, begins the general election with $1 million in advertising already deployed and unified Republican support. The race is expected to be among the most expensive of the cycle as both parties fight for the Senate majority.