Ohio could yield a contender
Published 8:38 am Thursday, November 29, 2018
In the days since the general election, a lot of chatter in the political world has been centered on U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and the possibility of a presidential run on his behalf.
Without advocating for a particular party and looking at this from a strictly analytical perspective, it’s easy to see why.
Brown has demonstrated an ability to connect with voters in a state that President Donald Trump won in 2016.
While Democrats fared well nationally in the midterm, this was not the case in Ohio, where Republicans captured the governor’s office, as well those of secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and attorney general.
The only Democratic win in Ohio, excluding court races, which are listed as nonpartisan, was Brown’s win over challenger Jim Renacci.
In fact, Brown’s total and margin of victory were higher than that of Republican Mike DeWine, who won the governor’s race.
With Ohio being a key Midwest swing state that both parties will seek in 2020, Brown’s record of winning office here could prove vital to a Democratic ticket.
And on many of the “working class” issues Trump is credited with invoking in rhetoric to sway voters, Brown has a track record that could benefit his party.
For instance, on the issue of trade deals, Brown was an opponent of corporate globalization, long before it was fashionable, breaking with his party’s president, Bill Clinton, in opposing NAFTA and similar treaties.
Polls show the Democratic race is wide open to challenge Trump. If Democrats hope to be competitive in 2020, they may want to consider Ohio’s senior senator among the names to choose from.