Sherrod Brown, the Ohio senator who was defeated last week by Republican businessman Bernie Moreno, appears to be considering a potential run for the seat currently held by Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who is set to leave the Senate to serve as vice president.
When asked by Politico if he might seek the remainder of Vance’s term, Brown responded, “I’m not ruling anything out.” The Hill has reached out to Brown’s press team for additional details.
Brown was among several Democrats who lost their seats in the recent election, as Republicans managed to maintain control of the House and regain the Senate and presidency. Despite his personal defeat, Brown emphasized his continued dedication to the Democratic Party.
“My future in this party is focused on helping my colleagues and the party understand the importance of engaging with workers and making decisions that reflect their interests,” Brown told Politico.
Reflecting on the election results, Brown noted that Democrats are often held to higher expectations than Republicans, who are perceived as more willing to side with corporate interests.
“People need someone to blame, and it’s been the Democrats because we’re expected to be different—we’re expected to stand with workers, unlike the Republicans who sell out to the rich and corporate interests,” Brown explained, acknowledging the party’s struggle to maintain support among working-class voters. He also admitted that Democrats have lost touch with the concerns of workers over the years.
“I know we’ve lost ground to Donald Trump by not focusing on workers and showing we’re consistently on their side,” Brown said. “The erosion of support from workers is something I’ve seen, largely because we haven’t prioritized them as we should over the past three decades.”