Ohio voters back bipartisan congressional reform plan, new survey finds

A new survey of 408 registered Ohio voters found 61.5% support for a proposal to force Congress into a bipartisan process on major national issues, with 42.9% saying a candidate’s support would make them more likely to vote for that candidate. The group behind the proposal has asked Ohio Senate candidates Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted to take a position.

Why it matters: - The survey suggests Ohio voters are open to changing how Congress handles major disputes, not just which policies it passes. - The proposal could become a campaign issue in a competitive Ohio Senate race. - Support for the plan also appears tied to voting behavior, with a large share of respondents saying a candidate’s backing would matter.

What happened: - Fulfilling America’s Promise asked Ohio U.S. Senate candidates Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted whether they will support its bipartisan congressional reform proposal. - The group tested public sentiment through three efforts: a February 2026 national survey of 1,133 registered independent voters, a 45-day Facebook and Instagram campaign, and a new SurveyMonkey survey of 408 registered Ohio voters. - After reading a detailed description of the proposal, 61.5% of Ohio registered voters supported it, 13.5% opposed it and 25.0% were unsure. - 42.9% said a candidate’s support for the proposal would make them more likely to vote for that candidate. - 6.9% said a candidate’s support would make them less likely to vote for that candidate. - 34.3% said support would make no difference, and 15.9% were unsure. - In a forced choice, 36.8% picked the Senate candidate supporting the proposal, while 13.7% picked the candidate opposing it. - 24.3% said the candidate’s position would make no difference, and 25.3% were unsure. - 58.8% favored requiring Congress to hold a final vote after legislation completed the proposed bipartisan process and obtained bipartisan sponsorship. - 41.2% favored keeping current procedures.

The details: - The Ohio survey included 408 respondents who identified themselves as registered voters. - Unregistered respondents were excluded from the Ohio results. - The February national survey of 1,133 registered independent voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. - In that national survey, 87% said polarization prevents Congress from addressing major national problems. - 81% supported requiring bipartisan cooperation. - 77% supported using bipartisan commissions to develop legislation. - 79% supported the proposed bipartisan-cooperation framework. - 71% favored Congress addressing one major issue at a time. - The 45-day social media campaign in July and August generated about 1,400 endorsements. - About 4,500 link clicks produced roughly a 31% endorsement rate. - The campaign recorded more than 10,800 engagements. - The campaign also generated about 3,400 reactions, 360 comments and 780 shares. - Each endorsement required an affirmative expression of support plus a name, email address and ZIP code. - Under the Make Congress Work Again proposal, each two-year Congress would select one or at most two major national problems from a defined list. - The list includes immigration, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid funding, health-care insurance, housing policy, structural budget imbalances and federal election reform. - For each issue, a 16-member commission would be formed. - The commission would include eight members of Congress, split evenly between four Democrats and four Republicans. - The commission would also include eight outside experts selected on a bipartisan basis. - The commission would have six months to develop legislation and hold at least three public hearings. - A majority would be required for approval, including at least two congressional members from each party. - Every member of Congress could propose amendments. - Legislation would then need bipartisan sponsorship in both chambers. - Procedural roadblocks, including the Senate filibuster, would be suspended for that legislation. - The process would end with debate and final up-or-down votes. - The proposal does not dictate policy outcomes on any issue. - It is designed to require bipartisan participation in drafting legislation and a final vote in Congress.

Between the lines: - The survey numbers point to a voter appetite for institutional change as much as for policy change. - The endorsement rate from the social media campaign suggests the proposal may resonate beyond traditional survey settings. - The proposal’s structure is built to force compromise early, then remove procedural barriers at the end. - Focusing on one or two issues per Congress is meant to narrow the agenda and reduce gridlock.

What's next: - Fulfilling America’s Promise has asked both campaigns to respond. - Jerome A. Madden said the group is not asking Brown or Husted to back a Democratic solution or a Republican solution, but to support a process that requires both parties to work together. - The group said it is waiting on a response from both campaigns. - More information is available through the group’s social media link.

The bottom line: - A majority of surveyed Ohio voters back the bipartisan reform concept, and many say a candidate’s support could affect their vote.