Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown talks about potential presidential run on WHIO Radio

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown says his message of fighting for workers resonated in his recent election victory and he told WHIO Radio that’s the message he’d push if he decides to run for president in 2020.

Right now he says he’s having family discussions about a potential run, but no decision has been made.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” he told Miami Valley’s Morning News host Larry Hansgen on Thursday.

“There’s a lot of people who have talked to me about it (running) since the election,” Brown said.

“I think it’s because of my message on the dignity of work.”

In nonjudicial races, Brown was the only Democrat on the ballot statewide in the November election to win in Ohio.

He defeated Akron-area Congressman Jim Renacci 53-47 percent.

Brown says his message about workers lead to his win.

“Washington doesn’t really understand that we need to honor work in this country,” Brown said. “We don’t respect work enough.”

“If you work hard all your life you ought to have something to show for it.”

While Brown has a longstanding progressive, liberal voting record, trad3 is the one issue he has some agreement with President Donald Trump on. Trade issues, such as opposition to NAFTA, resonate in Ohio especially in the northeast part of the state where Brown and Trump did well with voters despite being from different parties.

“We don’t pay people decent wages and benefits,” Brown said on AM 1290 and News 95.7 WHIO. “We’re seeing corporate profits up, executive compensation explode, productivity up in workers and they are not seeing enough in their paychecks.”

In a recent New York Times story, Rebecca Katz, a Democratic strategist, said Brown may be too “traditional” to win in 2020.

“He’s a traditional Democrat,” she continued, “and I think in the post-Bernie era, it seems that Democratic voters want more than that.”

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