CINCINNATI (AP) — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, one of the winningest Democrats in Ohio history, says he is seriously considering a 2020 presidential run.
Brown had previously played down interest in joining what’s expected to be a crowded Democratic field. But Brown acknowledged in multiple interviews Monday he’s listening to calls for him to run. He tells The Associated Press the encouragement is coming from national Democratic Party figures.
The 65-year-old politician led all Ohio vote-getters Nov. 6 to win re-election to a third Senate term even as Republicans swept other key statewide offices.
Brown says his election shows “a strong progressive” can win. He called his campaign “a blueprint for our nation in 2020.”
Brown says he will discuss 2020 with his wife and other family members before deciding “in the next couple months.”
Among other senators considering campaigns are New Jersey’s Cory Booker, New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand and California’s Kamala Harris.
The open discussion of potential White House plans so early is a switch from the past when politicians were coy about presidential ambitions. Usually advisers labored to keep meetings with donors and potential staff under wraps ahead of formal, carefully choreographed campaign announcements.
What’s different ahead of the 2020 presidential election? An urgency to unseat Trump and the prospect of a historically large primary field that could easily include two dozen Democratic hopefuls.