Sherrod Campbell Brown, born on November 9, 1952, is a prominent American politician who has been serving as Ohio's senior United States senator since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party and previously held the position of U.S. representative for Ohio's 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007. Earlier in his career, Brown served as Ohio's 47th secretary of state from 1983 to 1991, marking the beginning of a long-standing commitment to public service that started in 1975 when he was elected as a state representative.
Brown's ascent to the Senate was marked by his victory over two-term Republican incumbent Mike DeWine in 2006. He successfully defended his seat in subsequent elections, winning against state treasurer Josh Mandel in 2012 and U.S. representative Jim Renacci in 2018. Within the Senate, he has played a significant role as the chair of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms, as well as the Banking Subcommittee on Economic Policy. He also serves on the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and the Select Committee on Ethics. In January 2021, he took on the role of chair of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and led an investigation into the collapse of Archegos Capital Management.
Following George Voinovich's retirement in 2011, Brown became Ohio's only Democratic statewide elected official, apart from a handful of Democratic-affiliated justices on the Ohio Supreme Court. He is known for his progressive, populist stance within the Democratic Party.
