Suffolk

Democrat Sherrod Brown released a viral 30-second ad attacking Republican Sen. Jon Husted over remarks Husted made in March about people living in poverty. The ad features Ohio residents reacting with shock and profanity as they watch a clip of Husted saying poor people are "not very experienced at navigating the real world" and describing a young woman on food stamps who he said didn't "understand how money works at a grocery store," adding that "you literally have to teach people how to budget." It drew over 350,000 views within hours, praised by Brown supporters as exposing Husted as out of touch while drawing backlash from the right.

The ad comes as two new polls, from Suffolk University/USA Today and Marist, show Brown leading Husted by three and eight points respectively ahead of Ohio's Nov. 3 special Senate election to finish JD Vance's term. Both surveys found broad dissatisfaction with President Trump's job performance and economic concerns weighing on voters, continuing a months-long trend of polling favoring Brown, a former longtime senator ousted in 2024.

Two independent polls released this week show Democrat Amy Acton leading Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio's gubernatorial race. A Marist University poll had Acton ahead 50% to 44%, while a Suffolk University poll showed her leading 50% to 41%. Both leads fall outside the margin of error, though a majority of Marist respondents still predicted Ramaswamy would ultimately win in November. Acton polled stronger with parents, college graduates and independents, while Ramaswamy led among voters 65 and older and those without a college degree; the two were tied among men and white voters.

The Marist poll also showed Democrat Sherrod Brown leading Republican Jon Husted 51% to 43% in Ohio's Senate special election, with half of respondents expecting Brown to win. Brown, a former senator, is seeking to reclaim his seat after losing in 2024, while Husted was appointed to fill the remainder of J.D. Vance's term. The Marist survey also found President Trump's job approval sharply negative among respondents. Ohio voters head to the polls Nov. 3.

Officials in Nassau and Suffolk counties held a joint briefing at the Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management to warn residents ahead of a weekend nor'easter expected to bring flooding, heavy rain, and damaging winds to Long Island. Coastal communities such as Patchogue were already seeing minor street flooding, a familiar occurrence for residents who were securing outdoor furniture and stocking supplies in anticipation of worsening conditions.

Forecasters expect peak wind gusts of up to 55 mph from Friday evening through Saturday, strong enough to down trees and power lines and cause widespread outages. PSEG Long Island said crews are staged to respond quickly once the storm hits. Due to rough sea conditions, the Long Island Ferry has canceled Cross Sound service through Saturday. County executives urged residents to monitor forecasts closely and finish storm preparations as the system approaches the region.