GOP Senate majority faces fresh uncertainty as 2 key races tighten days before midterms

Two of the country’s most watched Senate races, in Ohio and South Carolina, remain neck and neck with under a week to go until the Nov. 3 midterm elections, polling results released on Wednesday show.

In both states, the tight margins are a welcome sign for Democrats as they try to unseat a pair of Republican incumbents: Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C. Should both races go their way, Democrats would find themselves within striking distance of eliminating the current 53-seat Republican majority in the Senate.

FOX NEWS POLL: GENDER GAP AND POCKETBOOK PAIN SHAPE OHIO SENATE RACE

In Ohio, findings from Suffolk University show Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown leading Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, 47% to 44%. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, putting the race within the margin of error. Four percent of voters were undecided, while 3% backed another candidate.

Brown, a former senator who lost his seat in 2024, is trying to make a political comeback, pitching himself as a familiar face amid public frustration with the cost of living.

Throughout his campaign, he has highlighted his career as a policymaker, promising to bring that expertise to issues like affordability and data center expansion. Before losing his seat to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Brown represented Ohio from 2007 to 2025, chairing the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

DARLINE GRAHAM FOCUSES ON KITCHEN-TABLE ISSUES AS SHE ANNOUNCES FULL-TERM SENATE BID

In South Carolina, polling from the Siena Research Institute, in partnership with The New York Times, has found Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., in a tie with Annie Andrews, the Democrat in the race, at an even 48% apiece. In that race, 3% of respondents said they were still undecided, while less than 1% said they planned to vote for some third candidate.

Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was appointed to the seat in July, is looking to secure a full six-year term after beating out a crowded field of Republican challengers in the primary.

Although new to the political scene, Graham has the backing of President Donald Trump and is running in a state that went the president’s way by a 17.8% margin in 2024.

Andrews, Graham’s opponent, has framed her as inexperienced and an extension of Lindsey Graham — one of Trump’s key allies in the Senate.

For her own part, Andrews has championed policy positions like enshrining access to abortion, increased requirements for gun ownership and expanding access to healthcare.