Ohio U.S. Senate Voter Guide: Brown, Husted, Levy and Redpath on Data Centers and Cost of Living
Four candidates are on the ballot in Ohio's special election for U.S. Senate on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Democrat Sherrod Brown, Republican Sen. Jon Husted, independent Greg Levy and Libertarian Bill Redpath.
The winner will serve the rest of the term J.D. Vance won in 2022. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares the four candidates on two issues: data centers and the cost of living. Here is where each one stands, based on the video and the candidates' own statements.
Sherrod Brown (Democrat)
Brown is a former U.S. senator from Ohio who was first elected in 2006 and served through 2024, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
On data centers, the video says Brown wants no big tax breaks and says local communities must have a say. "Ohioans shouldn't be forced to subsidize these costs and Ohioans — not Jon Husted and his billionaire friends — should get to decide if data centers are built in their community," Brown told the Capital Journal.
On cost of living, the video says Brown would end the war and the tariffs. "The first thing we do is end the war. The second thing we do is end these tariffs which keep adding costs for farmers and for everybody at the grocery store," he told WLWT.
Jon Husted (Republican)
Husted is the incumbent. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to the Senate in 2025, after he had served as lieutenant governor since 2019.
On data centers, the video says Husted calls it a local decision and says data centers must pay for their own utilities. He introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill that would ask states to consider making data centers pay for their electricity, and he has called data centers a "local issue," the Capital Journal reported.
On cost of living, the video says Husted would build more energy supply to lower prices. "The way that you drop the price of something, is you increase the supply of it," he told WLWT, adding, "We need to make it easier to build these new power plants, explore oil, build the pipelines, build the refineries."
Greg Levy (Independent)
Levy is a community organizer, singer and veteran raised in Akron, according to the Capital Journal. He describes himself as a socialist.
On data centers, the video says Levy argues they were built without consent and raise electric bills. "We shouldn't have to worry about how high our electricity bills are due to data centers (that we didn't ask for) being built in our communities," his campaign site says.
On cost of living, the video says Levy wants a national rent cap at 20% of income. His platform calls for "a national rent cap so no one pays more than 20% of their income on housing" and for a price freeze on essential goods.
Bill Redpath (Libertarian)
Redpath is a certified public accountant and businessman from Findlay, and this is his ninth run for office as a Libertarian, the Capital Journal reported.
On data centers, the video says Redpath sees them as a state and local issue, not a federal one.
On cost of living, the video says Redpath would end all tariffs and farm subsidies. "The United States should end all tariffs on imported goods and services, regardless of the policies of other nations," his campaign site says. The site also calls for "an end to all corporate welfare and farm subsidies."
Both third-party candidates have drawn outside spending. WOSU reported Oct. 23 that the Ohio Democratic Party paid for a mailer about Redpath, while a Republican-linked group has spent more than $1.58 million promoting Levy. Both candidates criticized the tactics.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Sherrod Brown: @SherrodBrown on X and @sherrodbrown on TikTok. Jon Husted: @TeamHusted on X. Greg Levy: @GregLevy4Senate on X and @greglevy4senate on Instagram and TikTok. Bill Redpath: @BillRedpath on X.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Ohio Capital Journal, Voter Guide, U.S. Senator: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/voter-guides/contests/ohio-u-s-senate/ ; Ohio Capital Journal, "Ohio U.S. Senate candidates offer contrasting visions for data centers" (Aug. 10, 2026): https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/08/10/ohio-u-s-senate-candidates-offer-contrasting-visions-for-data-centers/ ; WLWT, "Ohio U.S. Senate candidates talk inflation, crime, immigration": https://www.wlwt.com/article/ohio-us-senate-race-sherrod-brown-jon-husted-election-day/74111437 ; WOSU, "Ohio Democrats fund mailer promoting Libertarian candidate while Republicans fund Socialist" (Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2026-10-23/ohio-democrats-fund-mailer-promoting-libertarian-candidate-while-republicans-fund-socialist ; Greg Levy campaign, Platform: https://www.greg4senate.com/platform ; Bill Redpath campaign: https://billredpath.com/ ; Jon Husted campaign: https://www.jonhustedforsenate.com/
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