COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio’s working men and women are sending a clear message: union after union is leaving Sherrod Brown behind and backing U.S. Senator Jon Husted (R-OH) for the United States Senate.
The momentum is undeniable. On January 27, 2026, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers — all three Ohio chapters, representing tens of thousands of members in heavy industry, shipbuilding, and mining — endorsed Senator Husted. That endorsement made the Boilermakers the fourth union to break from Brown and stand with Husted, following two Ohio chapters of the International Union of Operating Engineers and the Northwest Building and Trades Council. These aren’t isolated decisions. They are part of a broader realignment of Ohio’s labor movement.
The reasons are straightforward. Husted has spent years building real relationships with the construction trades, fighting for domestic energy production, championing workforce training, and delivering the kind of tangible results that keep high-quality union jobs in power plants, refineries, and shipbuilding. Ohio’s union leaders have taken notice — and they’re acting on it.
Said Boilermakers President Timothy Simmons, “On behalf of the Boilermakers who keep Ohio’s manufacturing, rail, and energy sectors running, we proudly endorse Jon Husted to continue serving in the U.S. Senate.” Simmons made clear what is driving the decision: “Jon’s unwavering support for skilled trades, domestic energy production, and workforce training ensures that high-quality union jobs in power plants, refineries, and shipbuilding continue to thrive.”
For his part, Husted has earned the trust that union leaders are placing in him. “They know that they can count on me and they can trust me,” he said — and the endorsements keep proving him right.
The contrast with Brown could not be sharper. While Brown has relied on organized labor as a political base for decades, union leaders across Ohio are increasingly describing his approach as out of step with what working Ohioans actually need. The shift reflects not just dissatisfaction with Brown, but genuine enthusiasm for a senator who shows up, delivers, and understands what skilled tradespeople are fighting for.
As Ohio’s Republican electorate continues to grow and the Trump administration’s agenda resonates with working-class voters, the realignment of Ohio’s unions behind Jon Husted isn’t just a political story — it’s a statement about who is really fighting for Ohio’s workers.
