Longtime Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who many refer to as a “moderate” Democrat that often works across the aisle, has a voting record in lock step with President Biden nearly 100% of the time, sparking allegations of hypocrisy from his opponents.
Brown, who began serving in the U.S. Senate in 2007, is often referred to in media publications as a practical “moderate” in touch with blue-collar workers in the Buckeye State and as recently as this week campaigned on “standing up for people and fighting for Ohio.”
A review of his voting record since Biden took office using VoteView, a database maintained by political scientists from UCLA, shows that Brown voted with Biden 99% of the time from 2021-2023 and 97% of the time since 2023 while representing a state Trump carried by 8 points in 2020.
Brown’s allegiance to Democrats did drop during the Trump years, as he voted with Democrats 91% of the time from 2019-2021 and 95% of the time from 2017-2019. During the eight years of the Obama administration, Brown voted with Democrats 95%-98% of the time.
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L- Joe Biden R – Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)
The Ohio Democrat has also been a reliable vote for Biden when it comes to confirming nominees to high-profile positions. During the Biden presidency, Brown has voted to confirm Biden nominees over 99% of the time compared to 33% in the Trump administration.
During the Obama administration, Brown voted for 100% of the nominees before the Senate.
Brown’s adherence to Biden’s policies is expected to become a major issue on the campaign trail against his GOP challenger, businessman Bernie Moreno, who was propelled to a commanding victory in the primary by Trump’s endorsement, given that Biden is facing historically low approval numbers and is underwater on several key issues.
Additionally, most political experts believe that courting independent voters and perhaps moderate Republicans will be key to Brown’s success in November. Brown’s critics tell Fox News Digital that Brown’s voting record shows he is anything but “moderate.”
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Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is seen during senate votes in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Sherrod Brown parades around Ohio telling voters that he is a moderate, while he votes with Joe Biden 99% of the time and consistently sells out Ohio workers,” Reagan McCarthy, Communications Director for the Moreno campaign, told Fox News Digital.
“Brown has supported every single reckless spending package that has resulted in rampant inflation, voted for Biden’s attacks on American energy in favor of green energy schemes, and enabled Biden’s open-border invasion. We look forward to exposing his left-wing record and sending him packing in November.”
Philip Letsou, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital that Brown “can’t run from his record.”
“He’s a far-left liberal who has spent 50 years rubber-stamping the Democrat agenda,” Letsou said. “As Joe Biden has crushed working Americans with an open border and out of control inflation, Sherrod Brown has been there for him every step of the way.”
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Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno of Ohio (Bernie Moreno Senate campaign )
Brown has managed to win multiple re-elections in Ohio despite the state’s shift toward the GOP in recent years by appealing to Republican and Independent voters. Brown told Politico last month that he is going to “run my own race” and “my own brand” while at the same time is “not going to run away from Biden.”
“He’s also delivered more than any president in recent history.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Brown campaign spokesperson Reeves Oyster said, “Sherrod works for Ohio, which is why he’s stood up to presidents of both parties to block bad trade deals, worked with Republicans to make sure border patrol agents and law enforcement officers have the resources they need, and demanded the Biden Administration crack down on Chinese solar products that undercut Ohio manufacturers.”
The Friends of Sherrod Brown campaign pointed Fox News Digital to examples of Brown standing up to the Biden administration several times, including on trade issues involving China and on the issue of immigration when Biden overturned Title 42.
The campaign also pointed to Brown’s opposition to the nomination of Nelson Cunningham for Deputy U.S. Trade Representative due to his lobbying for foreign union-busting companies and his vocal opposition to Biden EPA emissions rules that negatively affected Ohio.