Senator Sherrod Brown
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Making his mark on history
At a first glance, he seems like another young and ambitious politician—but don’t be fooled. Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown has caught the attention of the nation by his outstanding efforts to improve healthcare, encourage young people to get involved and openly support gay rights.
Sometimes you just need to stand up for what you believe. At least, that is what Senator Sherrod Brown has demonstrated in his years of service at all government levels. His seeds to political success were planted well over 40 years ago.
Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Brown graduated from Yale University with a degree in Russian studies in 1974. Interestingly, at Yale he was in Davenport College, the same residential college as U.S. President George H. W. and George W. Bush. He went on to receive a Masters in education and public administration from The Ohio State University in Columbus, where he ended up teaching up until 1981. Soon after, he met and got married to Pulitzer-prize winning columnist Connie Schultz.
As one of the youngest state representatives elected in Ohio history, Brown, reportedly just after taking office, was mistaken for an intern and asked to fetch coffee by a staffer. He succeeded with a four-way Democratic primary in the general election for the office of Ohio Secretary of State, succeeding Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. in 1982. Four years later, Brown was re-elected as secretary of state, defeating Vincent C. Campanella. But in 1990, Brown lost when trying for a third term to Republican Bob Taft, so he relocated from Mansfield to Lorain, Ohio. And that’s where the magic happened.
In 1992, he won the heavily contested Democratic primary for an open seat in Ohio’s 13th district, a suburb of Cleveland, after eight-term incumbent Don Pease announced his retirement. The Democratic-leaning district gave him an easy win and was later re-elected six times. In 2001, the Republican-controlled legislature started to draw Brown’s district out from under him. But he retaliated by threatening to run for governor against incumbent Bob Taft. The Republicans backed down and, in fact, made his district even more heavily Democratic.
When he first announced he was passing on the U.S. Senate seat in 2005, many observers and constituents were puzzled. However, after reconsidering the move, Brown announced his candidacy and the following year won the seat with 56 percent of the vote.
Legislative notes
Senator Brown has advocated long and hard for equal pay for equal work. “Anyone who’s tried to pay a heating bill, fill a prescription, or simply buy groceries knows all too well that the current minimum wage does not cut the mustard,” Sen. Brown told the press.
Aside from his notable efforts to rebuild “our nation’s middle class,” Brown has earned the reputation as a public official, who looks to the future with his green energy initiative, revamping trade policies, fighting for veterans benefits and encouraging young people to get involved. “Young people have been at the forefront of every great social movement in our country’s history,” he says.
But he has already made his mark in history in the U.S. House as an aggressive supporter of Obama’s health care reform, including limits on a managed care plan’s ability to dictate a doctor’s treatment choices. “This drug coverage program was clearly designed by Republicans in Congress to serve the interests of the drug and insurance industries. America’s seniors were an afterthought,” said Sen. Brown. Observers are keen to watch and see what he sets out to accomplish next.
www.brown.senate.gov
At a first glance, he seems like another young and ambitious politician—but don’t be fooled. Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown has caught the attention of the nation by his outstanding efforts to improve healthcare, encourage young people to get involved and openly support gay rights.
Sometimes you just need to stand up for what you believe. At least, that is what Senator Sherrod Brown has demonstrated in his years of service at all government levels. His seeds to political success were planted well over 40 years ago.
Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Brown graduated from Yale University with a degree in Russian studies in 1974. Interestingly, at Yale he was in Davenport College, the same residential college as U.S. President George H. W. and George W. Bush. He went on to receive a Masters in education and public administration from The Ohio State University in Columbus, where he ended up teaching up until 1981. Soon after, he met and got married to Pulitzer-prize winning columnist Connie Schultz.
As one of the youngest state representatives elected in Ohio history, Brown, reportedly just after taking office, was mistaken for an intern and asked to fetch coffee by a staffer. He succeeded with a four-way Democratic primary in the general election for the office of Ohio Secretary of State, succeeding Anthony J. Celebrezze Jr. in 1982. Four years later, Brown was re-elected as secretary of state, defeating Vincent C. Campanella. But in 1990, Brown lost when trying for a third term to Republican Bob Taft, so he relocated from Mansfield to Lorain, Ohio. And that’s where the magic happened.
In 1992, he won the heavily contested Democratic primary for an open seat in Ohio’s 13th district, a suburb of Cleveland, after eight-term incumbent Don Pease announced his retirement. The Democratic-leaning district gave him an easy win and was later re-elected six times. In 2001, the Republican-controlled legislature started to draw Brown’s district out from under him. But he retaliated by threatening to run for governor against incumbent Bob Taft. The Republicans backed down and, in fact, made his district even more heavily Democratic.
When he first announced he was passing on the U.S. Senate seat in 2005, many observers and constituents were puzzled. However, after reconsidering the move, Brown announced his candidacy and the following year won the seat with 56 percent of the vote.
Legislative notes
Senator Brown has advocated long and hard for equal pay for equal work. “Anyone who’s tried to pay a heating bill, fill a prescription, or simply buy groceries knows all too well that the current minimum wage does not cut the mustard,” Sen. Brown told the press.
Aside from his notable efforts to rebuild “our nation’s middle class,” Brown has earned the reputation as a public official, who looks to the future with his green energy initiative, revamping trade policies, fighting for veterans benefits and encouraging young people to get involved. “Young people have been at the forefront of every great social movement in our country’s history,” he says.
But he has already made his mark in history in the U.S. House as an aggressive supporter of Obama’s health care reform, including limits on a managed care plan’s ability to dictate a doctor’s treatment choices. “This drug coverage program was clearly designed by Republicans in Congress to serve the interests of the drug and insurance industries. America’s seniors were an afterthought,” said Sen. Brown. Observers are keen to watch and see what he sets out to accomplish next.
www.brown.senate.gov
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