Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio called on President Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign on Friday, becoming the fourth Democrat in the chamber to ask Biden to drop out of the race.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard from Ohioans on important issues, like how to continue creating jobs in our state, give law enforcement the resources they need to fight fentanyl, protect Social Security and Medicare from budget cuts, and stop ongoing efforts to impose a national abortion ban,” Brown said in a written statement first shared with NBC News. “These are the issues Ohioans care about, and it’s my job to continue fighting for them.”
“I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me,” Brown added. “At this critical time, we need to refocus on these important issues. I believe the president should end his campaign.”
Brown’s call follows one from Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, who like Brown faces a tough reelection campaign this fall, and another Friday from Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat from Montana. Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, urged Biden to drop out of the race last week. More than 30 Democrats in Congress now want someone other than Biden to be their party’s presidential nominee.
The pressure for Biden to leave the party comes after a debate with Trump last month raised concerns about the president’s age and health — and his ability to lead the Democratic ticket this fall. The pressure has intensified in recent days, with speculation growing about Vice President Kamala Harris and other Biden replacements.
According to his campaign, Brown will not get involved in the process of selecting a new Democratic nominee and believes Biden should serve out his term.
The third-term Ohio senator had said earlier that voters in his state, which former President Donald Trump won twice by eight points, had “legitimate questions about whether the president should continue his campaign” and that he intended to listen to their concerns. But he stopped short of calling on Biden to end his re-election campaign.
Brown’s Trump-backed Republican opponent, businessman Bernie Moreno, has been closely tying him to Biden’s troubles for weeks.
Moreno, responding to Brown’s announcement later Friday, said his opponent had not gone far enough.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run, he is not fit to serve,” Moreno said in a statement emailed by his campaign. “I am formally calling on Joe Biden to resign as president because his continued presence in the Situation Room poses a threat to national security. I hope Senator Brown will join me.”
