COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s top Democrat is backing former Vice President Joe Biden for president.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, who flirted with running for president in 2020, announced his endorsement of Biden on Tuesday, three weeks before the conclusion of Ohio’s extended election period.
In a prepared statement, Brown said Biden “has the experience, the tenacity, and the empathy to lead in a crisis, and the hope to bring us together, and steer us toward brighter days ahead.”
Biden’s campaign has gone mostly digital as the former vice president isolates during the COVID-19 outbreak. He last visited Ohio in early March before he and his opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, called off dueling rallies in Cleveland.
“Joe Biden has dedicated his life to serving our country, and has never forgotten whom he fights for: the millions of Americans who are working hard, but feel like they can’t earn their way to a better life, no matter how hard they work,” Brown said in a prepared statement. “Dignity of Work isn’t a slogan — it’s who we are, and how we govern; Joe Biden understands that. And as we face both a public health crisis and an economy in turmoil, we need a steady hand more than ever.”
Brown, Ohio’s only statewide elected Democrat, is the latest to get behind Biden. Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, City Attorney Zach Klein and several other elected officials in Franklin County have endorsed Biden.
Brown voted for Biden weeks ago during the state’s early voting period before the March 17 primary, but didn’t reveal his endorsement until Tuesday.
The polls were closed hours before they were to open on primary Election Day though to stop the spread of COVID-19, and state lawmakers adopted a plan to complete the election almost entirely by mail.
The election ends on April 28.
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