New AARP Ohio Poll: 50+ Voters Key in Tight Senate, Governor Races

Today, AARP launched its 2026 midterm election polling series, being conducted by the bipartisan team of Fabrizio-Ward and Impact Research, with a statewide poll of Ohio that reveals how important older voters are in this year’s elections. Ohio voters 50 and older make up an outsized portion of the electorate: in the 2022 midterm elections, older voters made up 65% of the state’s voters. AARP’s new poll finds that 81% of older voters are “extremely motivated” to vote, compared with only 62% of voters ages 18-49.

“Voters age 50 and older are extremely motivated to turn out in this year’s midterm elections,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer. “This is the most influential voting bloc in American elections. They consistently vote at outsized rates, and the issues that matter most to them - Social Security, Medicare, inflation, and retirement security - decide the outcome in competitive races. We’re seeing older swing voters are winnable for candidates across the country, and they need to be speaking to these concerns. For older swing voters, our poll finds that Social Security is one of the top issues deciding their vote.”

In the race for the Senate, Sherrod Brown (D) leads incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (R) 48 percent to 45 percent. Among 50+ voters, Husted has an eight-point lead, driven by strong support from older men. And in this key demographic, older women voters are tied, and Brown leads Husted by seven points among 50+ swing voters. 

The open gubernatorial seat has Amy Acton (D) leading Vivek Ramaswamy (R), 47% - 44%. Ramaswamy’s support is based on his ten-point lead with older voters. But undecided swing voters loom large – 50% of older swing voters are still undecided.

“In Ohio, voters 50 and older are making clear that kitchen-table issues like the cost of living, Social Security, Medicare, and health care will determine their vote,” said AARP Ohio State Director Jenny Carlson. “More than eight in ten say a candidate’s position on Social Security and the cost of health care are key factors in earning their support, while over half say Social Security is or will be a major source of income. These voters are also balancing caregiving responsibilities, underscoring just how personal these economic and health care issues are for older Ohioans.”

AARP’s polling finds that affordability is the top issue for older voters, while both Social Security and Medicare are their second-most-important concern. 84% of older voters say that candidate positions on controlling health care costs will determine how they vote, and 83% of older voters say that candidate positions on Social Security will make a difference in how they vote.

Other key takeaways from this poll among voters 50 and older include:

• 55% of voters say that Social Security is or will be a major source of their income.
• 51% say that they are or have been a family caregiver.
• 56% of older voters are worried about their personal financial situation, and 67% of older swing voters are worried.

AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward (R) & Impact Research (D) to conduct a survey of voters in Ohio. The firms interviewed 800 likely voters statewide. The survey was done between June 14-16, 2026. The interviews were conducted via live interviewer on cell phone (40%) and landline (15%), as well as SMS-to-web (45%). The sample was randomly drawn from the Ohio voter list. The margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence level for the 800 statewide sample is ±3.5.

View the full survey results at aarp.org/OH2026voterpoll and more information on our poll at aarp.org/OHpoll.