Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has lost the support of police unions for the first time in more than a decade, the New York Post reports.
For the first time since the beginning of his Senate career, Brown has lost the endorsement of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). according to According to the New York Post, the FOP, which had previously supported Brown, cited his controversial tweets about the shooting as the main reason for withdrawing its endorsement in this election.
Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown loses support for police for first time in 12 years https://t.co/YzUHx9l5Cp pic.twitter.com/kwP9qMvL3x
— New York Post (@nypost) July 26, 2024
After 16-year-old Makia Bryant was shot and killed by police in Columbus, Brown tweeted critically about the incident in 2021, linking it to the broader issue of police violence highlighted by the Derek Chauvin trial. His tweets and subsequent comments likely had a major impact on the FOP's decision, the outlet reported.
Ohio FOP spokesman Mike Weinman said Governor Brown's immediate response to the incident was disappointing to many members. (Related article: “The president should stop campaigning”: Another Democratic senator voices opposition to Biden)
“It all came down to a tweet,” Weinman said, according to the New York Post. “There was a shooting here and instead of taking the time to listen to us and understand the situation, Mr. Sherrod did what everyone does now, he reached for his phone. Mr. Brown made the comment. It's unfortunate.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 22: Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on March 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
According to the New York Post, the FOP's internal nomination process worked against Brown, who missed out on the nomination by just four votes in a floor vote. Brown's opponent, Republican Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, also lost the FOP's nomination, not for political positions, but mainly for procedural reasons and a lack of political experience.
The loss of support comes at a critical time for Senator Brown, the only remaining active Democrat in the heavily Republican state of Ohio, according to the New York Post. While Senator Brown maintains a lead over Moreno, the shift in support from key groups like the FOP could impact the dynamics of Brown's reelection campaign.
