Sherrod Brown isn’t the only former senator with the name abbreviation “S. Brown” seeking a comeback in the 2026 midterm elections. The Ohio Democrat is joined by, among others, former Sen. Scott Brown of New Hampshire, who was, briefly, an Obama-agenda-thwarting Republican hero a dozen years ago.

The Browns, along with former Sen. John E. Sununu, a New Hampshire Republican seeking his old Senate seat, face tough historical headwinds in the 2026 midterm election cycle. No senator who has lost a reelection bid subsequently won a seat since 1988. Back then, the late Republican Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington triumphed two years after losing the state’s other Senate seat, which he had held for a single, six-year term.