Sherrod Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sherrod Brown
Official portrait, 2021
United States Senator from Ohio
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Mike DeWine
Succeeded by	Bernie Moreno
Committee positions Chair of the Senate Banking Committee In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025 Preceded by Mike Crapo Succeeded by Tim Scott Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee In office January 3, 2015 – February 3, 2021 Preceded by Mike Crapo Succeeded by Pat Toomey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 13th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Don Pease
Succeeded by	Betty Sutton
46th Secretary of State of Ohio
In office January 12, 1983 – January 14, 1991
Governor	Dick Celeste
Preceded by	Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr.
Succeeded by	Bob Taft
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 61st district
In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by	Joan Douglass
Succeeded by	Frank Sawyer
Personal details
Born	Sherrod Campbell Brown (1952-11-09) November 9, 1952 (age 72) Mansfield, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Larke Ummel ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1987)​ Connie Schultz ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	2
Relatives	Charlie Brown (brother)
Education	Yale University (BA) Ohio State University (MA, MPA)
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Website

Sherrod Campbell Brown (/ˈʃɛrəd/ SHERR-əd; born November 9, 1952) is an American politician who served from 2007 to 2025 as a United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007 and the 47th secretary of state of Ohio from 1983 to 1991. He started his political career in 1975 as a state representative. Brown is widely regarded within the Democratic Party as a liberal, progressive, and populist figure.

A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Brown graduated from Yale University and Ohio State University. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, defeating two-term Republican incumbent Mike DeWine. He was reelected in 2012 and 2018. Throughout his tenure, Brown has chaired the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and served on the Committees on Finance, Veterans' Affairs, and Ethics. He ran for reelection in 2024, but was defeated by Republican nominee and businessman Bernie Moreno. As of 2025, Brown is the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Ohio.

Early life, education, and academic career

Sherrod Brown was born in Mansfield, Ohio, on November 9, 1952, the son of Emily (née Campbell) and Charles Gailey Brown, M.D. He has Scottish, Irish, German, and English ancestry, and was named after his maternal grandfather. Brown's brother Charlie served as Attorney General of West Virginia from 1985 to 1989. Brown became an Eagle Scout in 1967; his badge was presented by John Glenn. In 1970, he graduated from Mansfield Senior High School.

In 1974, Brown received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian studies from Yale University. While at Yale, he lived in Davenport College, and he campaigned for George McGovern during the 1972 presidential election. He went on to receive a Master of Arts degree in education and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Ohio State University at Columbus in 1979 and 1981, respectively. He taught at Ohio State University's Mansfield branch campus from 1979 to 1981.

Early political career

During his senior year in college, Brown was recruited by a local Democratic leader to run for Ohio's state house. Brown served as a state representative in Ohio from 1974 to 1982. At the time of his election to the Ohio House, he was the youngest person elected to that body. In 1982 Brown ran for Ohio Secretary of State to succeed Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. He won a four-way Democratic primary that included Dennis Kucinich, then defeated Republican Virgil Brown in the general election. In 1986 Brown was reelected, defeating Vincent C. Campanella. As Secretary of State, Brown focused on voter registration outreach. In 1990 he lost reelection in a heated campaign against Republican Bob Taft, the future Governor of Ohio and great-grandson of President William Howard Taft. This is the only time Brown has lost an election.

U.S. House of Representatives

1992 election

Congressman Brown in 1993

Brown's signature on an official document from his office as Secretary of State of Ohio, 1990.

In 1992, Brown moved from Mansfield to Lorain, Ohio, and won a heavily contested Democratic primary for the open seat for Ohio's 13th district, in the western and southern suburbs of Cleveland, after eight-term incumbent Don Pease announced his retirement. The Democratic-leaning district gave him an easy win over the little-known Republican Margaret R. Mueller. He was reelected six times.

Tenure

The Democrats lost their long-held House majority in the 1994 elections, and stayed in the minority for the remainder of Brown's tenure. As ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee, Brown successfully advocated for increased funding to fight tuberculosis.

Brown in 2004

In 2005, Brown led the Democratic effort to block the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). For many months, Brown worked as whip on the issue, securing Democratic "nay" votes and seeking Republican allies. After several delays, the House of Representatives finally voted on CAFTA after midnight on July 28, passing it by one vote.

Brown opposed an amendment to Ohio's constitution that banned same-sex marriage. He was also one of the few U.S. Representatives to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996.

Committee assignments

Brown was the ranking minority member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee. He also served on the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. While serving on the House International Relations Committee, he was also a member of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

U.S. Senate

Elections

2006

Sherrod Brown at a campaign rally

Brown hosts a panel of advisers to Barack Obama's presidential campaign during the first day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado

In August 2005 Brown announced he would not run for the United States Senate seat held by two-term Republican incumbent Mike DeWine, but in October he reconsidered his decision. His announcement came shortly after Democrat Paul Hackett stated that he would soon announce his candidacy. On February 13, 2006, Hackett withdrew from the race, all but ensuring that Brown would win the Democratic nomination. In the May 2 primary Brown won 78.05% of the Democratic vote. His opponent, Merrill Samuel Keiser Jr., received 21.95%.

In April 2006, Brown, along with John Conyers, brought an action against George W. Bush and others, alleging violations of the Constitution in the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The case, Conyers v. Bush, was ultimately dismissed for lack of standing.

On November 7, 2006, Brown defeated DeWine, 56% to 44%.

2012

Brown ran for reelection in 2012, facing opponent Josh Mandel, who in 2010 had defeated the incumbent state treasurer by 14 points. Mandel raised $2.3 million in the second quarter of 2011 alone, to Brown's $1.5 million. Early on Brown enjoyed a steady lead in the polls. Mandel won the March Republican primary with 63% of the vote.

The Washington Post reported that no candidate running for reelection (save Barack Obama) faced more opposition from outside groups in 2012 than Brown did. As of April 2012 over $5.1 million had been spent on television ads opposing him, according to data provided by a Senate Democratic campaign operative. The United States Chamber of Commerce spent $2.7 million. 60 Plus Association, a conservative group that opposes health care reform, spent another $1.4 million. Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS and the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee also spent heavily in the race. In May 2012 Brown campaigned with West Wing actor Martin Sheen.

On November 6, 2012, Brown held his seat, winning 50.7% of the vote to Mandel's 44.7%. Independent candidate Scott Rupert received 4.6% of the vote.

2018

In 2018 Brown was reelected to a third Senate term, defeating Republican U.S. Representative Jim Renacci by 6.8 points.

2024

In 2024, Brown ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary and faced Republican challenger and businessman Bernie Moreno in the election. In an unexpectedly decisive race, Sherrod Brown was unseated, losing the election by about 200,000 votes. Moreno's victory contributed to a large Republican Senate majority in the 119th United States Congress.

Tenure

Brown chairing the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in 2024

Brown is a staunch critic of free trade and has taken progressive stances on financial issues. He has pushed for the Democratic Party to adopt a more populist approach, focusing on issues affecting working-class Americans. He was appointed co-chair of the Joint Multiemployer Pension Solvency Committee in 2018.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown proposed a bill that would let workers immediately receive paid sick days, allowing them to stay home and self-quarantine if feeling sick or in the event of any public health emergency. Brown argued this would help slow the spread of the virus in workplaces. He criticized Republicans for blocking the proposal but thought that the House would pass similar measures.

After President Donald Trump was impeached in December 2019, Brown voted to remove him from office. During the January 2020 impeachment trial, he supported Republicans bringing witnesses to testify, so long as testimony from witnesses such as National Security Advisor John Bolton was also allowed.

Brown pushed for legislation in 2020 that would require the EPA to more strictly regulate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. .....

Brown pushed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2021 to establish the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence in Ohio.

He called in July 2024 for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.

Committee assignments (118th Congress)

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research
  • Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (chair)
  • As chair of the committee, Brown serves as an ex officio member on all the subcommittees.
• Committee on Finance
  • Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
  • Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy (chair)
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Potential national campaigns

Brown speaks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

One of Bernie Sanders's closest allies in the U.S. Senate, Brown nevertheless endorsed Hillary Clinton and campaigned for her in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary in Ohio. He was vetted as a potential vice-presidential running mate for Clinton. The choice came down to Brown and Tim Kaine, who was ultimately selected. Brown had the distinct disadvantage that had Clinton won, Ohio's Republican Governor John Kasich would have chosen Brown's replacement in the Senate, whereas Kaine's replacement would be chosen by Democrat and Clinton ally Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe.

The Washington Monthly suggested in 2017 that Brown could unite the establishment and progressive wings of the Democratic Party as a presidential candidate in 2020. Cleveland.com reported in 2018 that he was "seriously" considering a presidential run. After winning his third Senate term in the 2018 election, he was considered a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and began exploring a run in January 2019. He announced in March that he would not run for president and would instead remain a senator. During the 2016 campaign season, he also said he had no interest in being vice president.

Political positions

Brown speaks at the kickoff breakfast for Lorain International Festival

the TCJA). Brown had argued the bill overwhelmingly benefited wealthy individuals and corporations with a much smaller impact to the middle class.

Veterans

Ohio Wing Civil Air Patrol delegation with Brown in 2012

In 2014, Brown introduced the Gold Star Fathers Act of 2014 (S. 2323; 113th Congress), a bill that would expand preferred eligibility for federal jobs to the fathers of certain permanently disabled or deceased veterans. He said that "when a service member is killed in action or permanently and totally disabled, the government should do its part to be there for grieving parents—no matter if they're fathers or mothers."

In 2015, Brown and Representative Tim Ryan introduced legislation that would give military veterans priority in scheduling classes in colleges, universities, and other post-secondary education programs.

Energy and environment

In 2012, Brown co-sponsored the Responsible Electronics Recycling Act, a bill that would prohibit the export of some electronics for environmental reasons. In 2018, his Water Resources Development Act was signed by Donald Trump to invest in "clean water infrastructure and build or update water and sewer systems."

Gun control

Dayton NAACP President Derrick L. Foward seeks support from U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Beavercreek, Ohio.

Brown has criticized the political influence of gun manufacturers.

Brown called the Republican legislature in Ohio "lunatics" for introducing a concealed carry bill that would allow individuals to carry guns into airplane terminals (before security), police buildings, private airplanes, and day care facilities.

Health care

Brown speaks about health care reform in Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Brown supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, voting for it in December 2009, and he voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

In 2006, Brown co-sponsored the single-payer Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act. He did not co-sponsor Senator Bernie Sanders's single-payer health plan, despite saying he has "always been supportive" of such a system. Brown said he was supporting his own plan, which would allow people 55 and older to buy into Medicare.

Housing

In April 2019, Brown was one of 41 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to the housing subcommittee praising the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 4 Capacity Building program as authorizing "HUD to partner with national nonprofit community development organizations to provide education, training, and financial support to local community development corporations (CDCs) across the country" and expressing disappointment that President Trump's budget "has slated this program for elimination after decades of successful economic and community development." The senators wrote of their hope that the subcommittee would support continued funding for Section 4 in Fiscal Year 2020.

LGBT rights

Brown voted against prohibiting same-sex couples from adopting children in Washington D.C. He received a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign in 2005–2006, indicating a pro-gay rights stance. On December 18, 2010, he voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Education

Brown speaks at 2014 Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C

In 2015, Brown introduced the Charter School Accountability Act of 2015, which would seek to curb "fraud, abuse, waste, mismanagement and misconduct" in charter schools.

Brown praised West Virginia teachers who held a nine-day strike in early 2018, saying: "When this society fails to pay its teachers a living wage, it's pretty shameful. Those teachers engaged the public to put pressure on a Republican legislature that historically underfunds education and they got the legislature to finally do the right thing. So I was proud of those teachers for standing up."

Immigration

In July 2019, following reports that the Trump administration intended to cease protecting spouses, parents and children of active-duty service members from deportation, Brown was one of 22 senators led by Tammy Duckworth to sign a letter arguing that the protection gave service members the ability "to fight for the United States overseas and not worry that their spouse, children, or parents will be deported while they are away" and that its termination would both cause service members personal hardship and negatively affect their combat performance.

Intellectual property

Brown was a cosponsor of the Protect-IP Act (PIPA).

Railroad safety

In June 2019, Brown was one of ten senators to cosponsor the Safe Freight Act, a bill that would require freight trains to have one or more certified conductors and a certified engineer on board who can collaborate on how to protect the train and people living near the tracks. The legislation was meant to correct a Federal Railroad Administration rollback of a proposed rule intended to establish safety standards.

Trade

Brown talks about Making America Competitive Again and Restoring U.S. Innovation Leadership

Brown has criticized free trade with China and other countries. In a 2006 Washington Post article, Brown argued against free trade on the grounds that labor activism was responsible for the growth of the U.S. middle class, and that the U.S. economy is harmed by trade relations with countries that lack the kind of labor regulations that have resulted from that activism.

In 2011, the Columbus Dispatch noted that Brown "loves to rail against international trade agreements." Brown's book Myths of Free Trade argues that "an unregulated global economy is a threat to all of us." In the book he recommends measures that would allow for emergency tariffs, protect Buy America laws, including those that give preference to minority and women-owned businesses, and hold foreign producers to American labor and environmental standards. Brown was the co-author and sponsor of a bill that would officially declare China a currency manipulator and require the Department of Commerce to impose countervailing duties on Chinese imports.

Brown speaks at 2008 Labor Day Festival

In May 2016, Brown called for tariffs to be imposed on imports from China and praised Hillary Clinton's plan to enforce rules and trade laws and triple the enforcement budgets at the United States Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission.

Brown opposes NAFTA, which he argues should be renegotiated to aid Ohio workers.

In January 2018, Brown expressed support for President Trump's decision to impose tariffs on washing machine imports. He supported his first trade agreement in 2019, after never having previously supported one while in Congress. He voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement because he said it would send Ohioan jobs to Mexico, but supported a new trade agreement for United States, Mexico and Canada after a "step toward a pro-worker trade policy, but it's not a perfect agreement."

In November 2023, pressure from Brown and other congressional Democrats led the Biden administration to abandon plans for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework's trade component.

Employment

In 2012, Brown wrote a letter to the United States Department of Defense requesting that it comply with a rule requiring members of the military to wear clothes made in the U.S.

Personal life

Brown was married to Larke Recchie from 1979 to 1987, and they had two children. During their divorce proceedings, Recchie obtained a restraining order against Brown to keep him from harassing or annoying her and from "doing bodily harm". In a supporting affidavit, she said she was "in fear for the safety and well-being of myself and our children due to [Brown's] physical violence and abusive nature" and that Brown had "intimidated, pushed, shoved and bullied" her on several occasions. Years later, Recchie walked back her claims of physical violence against Brown.

Recchie and Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz later became friends and filmed an ad together for Brown's 2006 Senate campaign. Recchie hosted a fund-raising event for Brown's 2012 reelection campaign against Republican Josh Mandel and issued a statement saying, "I understand that in campaigns you often have to go after your opponent, but Josh Mandel should know better than to go after our family. I ask that he immediately put a stop to this kind of politics. I was proud to support Sherrod in 2006 and I'm proud to support him again this time around against Josh Mandel. Josh Mandel should immediately stop this kind of dirty campaigning."

In 2004, Brown married Schultz. She resigned from her job in 2011, because being a politician's spouse presented a conflict of interest. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2005. She is also the author of Life Happens (2007) and ...and His Lovely Wife (2008), in which she describes her experiences as the spouse of a U.S. Senate candidate. He has two stepchildren from this marriage.

Brown's daughter Elizabeth was president pro tempore of the Columbus City Council and served on the council for seven years. He has five grandchildren. He is Lutheran. Brown's brother, Charlie, is a former West Virginia attorney general.

In 2007, Brown was awarded an honorary doctorate from Capital University. He was awarded an honorary doctor of public service degree from Otterbein University in 2014. Along with his wife, Brown delivered a keynote address at the undergraduate commencement.

In June 2023, NBC News reported that Brown had been late paying his Cleveland property tax bill seven times, most recently in February, and that for years he claimed owner-occupant tax credits on properties in two different Ohio counties. Brown subsequently paid the delinquent tax bill and repaid Franklin County for the tax credit. His campaign said he would not claim it in future years. In August 2023, Brown corrected several years of Senate financial disclosure forms that had previously omitted his wife's pension money.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Sherrod Brown para niños

• List of United States senators from Ohio
• Ohio United States Senate elections