Vulnerable Democratic Incumbent Sherrod Brown Loses Police Endorsement For First Time in 12 Years

Sarah Arnold | July 28, 2024 5:00 PM

2024 has already proven to be a headache for the Democratic Party. They had to force President Joe Biden out of the race to save their “legacy,” and Kamala Harris is not the saving grace they were hoping for.

Meanwhile, outside the White House, things aren’t looking too good for the party.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Ohio's vulnerable Democratic incumbent, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), failed to secure the police union's endorsement by four votes during a floor vote.

For the past 12 years, Brown has had the support of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).

However, for the first time since the start of his senate career, he failed to earn it, pointing to a tweet he made about a controversial shooting as one of the top reasons for withdrawing their support this election cycle.

“It came down to a tweet,” Mike Weinman, Ohio FOP spokesman, said. “There was a shooting here, and Sherrod, instead of taking time to listen and talk to us and understand the situation, did what all these people do now and got on his phone. Brown made a comment. It’s a shame.”

The incident occurred in 2021 when Columbus cop Nicholas Reardon shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant after responding to a domestic violence call.

A day after the fatal incident, on April 21, 2021, Brown linked the shooting to when a former Minneapolis cop was convicted for killing George Floyd.

“People here genuinely don’t know where he stands on things like George Floyd and qualified immunity. Our voters know their stuff, and he just wasn’t being clear enough about where he stands. Brown has always been great for supplies and vests, helping us get resources. But I think now our people aren’t as sure they can trust him,” Weinman said.

This is critical for Brown, who is fighting to keep his seat in a predominantly Republican-leaning state.