COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) 鈥� Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown made clear during a farewell speech Tuesday that he does not plan to abandon his career-long fight for American workers despite suffering a last month in Ohio, where it's become for his party to win statewide elections.
鈥淭his is my last speech on the floor this year, but it is not, I promise you, the last time you will hear from me,鈥� the 72-year-old Brown said in his signature gravelly voice, after thanking staff and family members who watched in the Senate chamber. He at times fought back tears.
It was a telling remark, given Brown's high political profile in his native Ohio. The state's political observers are already floating his name as a possible contender for the , the , or for the governorship. Both offices are up for grabs in 2026.
Brown said only that he would return to Ohio in January as 鈥渁 private citizen鈥� and that people who love the country "fight for the people who make it work every day.鈥�
The Democrat blasted the Washington establishment for bowing to Wall Street鈥檚 interest over workers, with painful results for places like his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio. He said he learned from his parents 鈥� a conservative and a liberal 鈥� 鈥渢hat the role of government was to help the little guy. The big guys can take care of themselves.鈥�
This fall, Brown delivered a similar message to voters without success, losing his reelection bid to Republican , a Cleveland businessman and newcomer to public office, by about 3.5 percentage points. Campaigns and outside groups spent nearly $300 million in what was one of Republicans鈥� top targets nationally as they successfully .
That's as the onetime bellwether state has tacked hard to the right and supported Donald Trump for president three times.
Without naming Trump, Brown 鈥� a pro-union senator consistently ranked among the chamber's most liberal members 鈥� took a swipe at the notion that the president-elect's movement can be called "populist.鈥�
鈥淭rue populism lifts all people. True populism doesn鈥檛 tear others down. True populism doesn鈥檛 play to race and division," he said. "True populism is essentially about the dignity of work, putting workers at the center of all we should be doing.鈥�
Brown touted key accomplishments of his 18-year Senate career that he said will have lasting impacts for working families. He named expanding health care for veterans exposed to , helping thwart what he described as bad trade deals like , saving the pensions of , and capping the price of at $35.
鈥淭hese victories don鈥檛 come easy. Of course, they don鈥檛 鈥� but they matter to millions of families,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淲hen we stand up to corporate special interests, when we guarantee workers a seat at every table, when we see decisions here through the eyes of workers, we all do our jobs a bit differently 鈥� and better.鈥�
Julie Carr Smyth, The Associated Press
