Two little-known Democrats have filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for U.S. senator next year.

Chris Volpe, a Columbus businessman, and Lynnea Lau, a Toledo-area health care professional, are the two Democrats to submit statements of candidacy to the FEC.

Democrat Sherrod Brown, a former 18-year U.S. senator who lost a reelection bid last year, is considering a run next year for the Senate or for governor.

There are a number of more-prominent Democrats — though not as well known statewide as Brown — who may jump into the race if the former senator chooses not to run for the Senate.

The seat was won in the November 2022 election by Republican J.D. Vance, who resigned in January after being elected vice president. Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, selected Jon Husted, his lieutenant governor, to succeed Vance shortly after the resignation.

Husted is running for the remaining two years on Vance’s unexpired term in the November 2026 election and has picked up a number of key endorsements, including President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party.

A full six-year Senate term will be on the 2028 ballot.

Volpe is a small business owner, running Multivarious, a video game and software studio.

“Too many Ohioans feel their voices aren’t being heard by their leaders and representatives,” he said. “I’m just a normal guy and I’m here to listen directly to people across our state about what matters most to them.”

Volpe said he won’t accept corporate or lobbyist funding and won’t waste money on expensive consultants and advertising.

Volpe’s priorities include ensuring all people can live with dignity, respect and purpose; maximize personal and economic freedoms; implement smart, strategic security measures that protect Americans without violating freedoms; and creating economic opportunities that allow everyone to pursue their dreams.

Lau said she is “committed to protecting the benefits that millions of taxpayers rely on — Social Security, Medicare, education funding and essential public services — because these aren’t handouts, they’re lifelines earned through a lifetime of contributions.”

Lau said her campaign is “about restoring fairness, strengthening the middle class and building a future where prosperity is shared, not hoarded. I’ll stand up to special interests, defend the benefits you’ve earned and put everyday Americans first. Let’s take our country back from corporate greed and build an economy that works for all of us.”