Sherrod Brown

Sherrod Brown

Democratic

Sherrod Brown is a former Democratic U.S. senator from Ohio who served from 2007 to 2025. He is running in Ohio’s 2026 special U.S. Senate election after advancing from the Democratic primary.

Positions on Key Issues

Abortion & Reproductive Health

high

Brown supports abortion rights and reproductive freedom, including federal protections for abortion and contraception and opposition to bans and restrictions. He has also been endorsed by Planned Parenthood organizations and has backed reproductive-freedom legislation.

Climate/Energy

medium

Brown’s campaign messaging emphasizes energy affordability, domestic manufacturing, and protecting Ohio jobs tied to the energy sector. No separate detailed climate-policy plank was prominently available on the campaign issues page reviewed.

Economy

high

Brown emphasizes rebuilding domestic manufacturing, supporting workers’ bargaining power, and opposing offshoring and unfair trade deals. His campaign also highlights infrastructure investment, lower drug costs, and pro-union policies as part of its economic agenda.

Firearms & Second Amendment

high

Brown supports gun-safety measures such as universal background checks, closing loopholes, and community violence-prevention funding while saying he supports the rights of law-abiding gun owners. This reflects the position described on his campaign issues page.

Election Policy

medium

Brown has a long Senate record supporting voting access and election-administration measures and opposing efforts that would restrict voting rights. His campaign site does not spell out a separate election-policy plank, so this summary reflects his public legislative record and issue emphasis on protecting democracy and voting access.

Immigration

medium

Brown’s campaign messaging emphasizes border security alongside protections for long-term residents and workers. Reporting also says he has called for stronger border enforcement while criticizing harsh treatment of immigrants and supporting protections for groups such as Haitians in Ohio.

Civil Rights & Equality

high

Brown has supported civil-rights protections and LGBTQ+ equality, including federal anti-discrimination and marriage-equality measures. He has also been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign PAC for his Senate campaign.

Education

medium

Brown supports public education funding and higher-education access, including federal support for K-12 schools and Pell Grants. His campaign and allied education groups have emphasized support for teachers and public schools.

Healthcare

high

Brown supports preserving the Affordable Care Act, expanding affordable coverage, and lowering prescription drug costs. His campaign materials also emphasize insulin-cost relief and protecting coverage for people with preexisting conditions.

Local Issues

high

Brown’s campaign emphasizes manufacturing jobs, infrastructure investment, workforce training, and lowering costs for Ohio families. It also highlights support for veterans, seniors, and policies aimed at keeping jobs and investment in Ohio.

Foreign Policy

high

Brown has supported U.S. aid to Ukraine, backing NATO allies, and sanctions on Russian aggression. His Senate record also includes support for bipartisan foreign-aid measures for U.S. partners.

Tech & AI

low

No public position found on the campaign website or in readily available campaign materials reviewed for this profile.

Background

Career History

United States Senator 2007 – 2025
U.S. Senate

Represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate for nearly two decades.

U.S. Representative 1993 – 2007
U.S. House of Representatives

Served in the House before moving to the Senate.

Ohio Secretary of State 1983 – 1991
State of Ohio

Held statewide office as Ohio secretary of state.

Education

Yale University Bachelor of Arts in Russian studies (1974)
Ohio State University Master of Arts in Education (1979)

Top Donors

Sherrod Brown’s 2025–2026 Senate campaign committee had raised about $24.3M by March 31, 2026, with $16.5M cash on hand. OpenSecrets shows his 2024 cycle fundraising was much larger, at about $93.7M raised, and his donor base has historically been driven by large-scale federal campaign fundraising rather than a single disclosed industry bloc in the summary page reviewed. Sources: https://www.opensecrets.org/profiles/sherrod-brown/us_congress/summary?mpid=1067611 ; https://www.opensecrets.org/profiles/sherrod-brown/us_congress/elections?cycle=2024&mpid=1067611

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Voting Record

Sherrod Brown is a former U.S. senator, so he has an extensive federal voting record. Vote Smart identifies his key votes and issue positions, and his Senate record includes long-running support for labor, consumer, and social-policy priorities; he also cast notable votes on major Senate legislation during his tenure, including appropriations and social-policy measures. Sources: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/27018/sherrod-brown ; https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/27018/sherrod-brown ; https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00343.htm

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Data Analysis Information

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 5/8/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.

© 2026 Smarter.vote. Analyzing public information to help voters make informed decisions.

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