This article is part of the Voters Guide produced in partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Akron Area.
Description of Race/Referendum:
Base Salary: $174,000
Term: 6 years
Responsibilities: Represents the people of Ohio and the United States in dealing with matters of national and international importance. The general welfare should be a prime concern.
Sherrod Brown
Democrat
Campaign Email: info@sherrodbrown.com
Training / Experience: U.S. Senator, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, former Ohio Secretary of State, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Campaign Address: 3867 West Market Street St., 289, Akron, OH 44333
Website: www.sherrodbrown.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sherrod/
Twitter: SherrodBrown
Education: BA Yale University, 1974; MA Ohio State University, 1979; MPA Ohio State University, 1981
What are your top priorities and how will you address them?
My top priority is always to fight for Ohioans and the dignity of work. That means standing up to special interests and big corporations to level the playing field and ensure every family has a path to the middle class.
I am proud of our recent wins, like passing the Butch Lewis Act, which secured the pensions of over 100,000 Ohio workers; the bipartisan PACT Act that delivered the largest expansion of veterans’ healthcare in VA history; and the CHIPS Act that is bringing thousands of jobs to Ohio.
Currently, I am committed to passing the FEND Off Fentanyl Act to protect Ohioans from dangerous fentanyl and reinstating the Child Tax Credit to support working families.
What about your non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
The depth and breadth of my knowledge of the law, coupled with my understanding of the impact legal decisions have on clients, provides the right mix of experience to interpret and apply the law fairly and justly as a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court.
For 27 years I practiced law in trial and appeals courts all over Ohio, helping clients resolve disputes ranging from complex business litigation to consumer class actions to legal malpractice claims to trust and estate disputes, and more. I have represented clients in legal disputes ranging from a complex business dispute involving a $40 million indemnification claim to helping a daughter and her stepmother divide the father’s assets (and ashes) after he died. Representing individuals and businesses in a wide variety of disputes gave me deep understanding of substantive and procedural law.
I saw first hand the impact legal decisions have on parties. The first appeal I argued resulted in reversal of the trial court and entry of judgment in my client’s favor. After years of litigating and a devastating jury verdict, my client was in dire straits because the trial court had not applied the law correctly. The court of appeals fixed the mistake and changed my cleint’s life. I saw firsthand the importance of the court of appeals.
While in private practice, I dedicated myself to learning the intricacies of the law and understanding the impact the law has on our communities. I regularly wrote and spoke on developments in the law.
State your position on voting and elections policy.
As Secretary of State, I expanded voter access and information. In the Senate, I am fighting against efforts that disenfranchise voters. I support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and will always oppose laws that intentionally make it more difficult for people of color, seniors, students and low-income people to vote.
I’ve previously introduced the Election Security Act, which would require backup paper ballots and provide election security grants to states for cyber security, and I introduced a bill to stop states from purging voters solely due to failure to vote or to respond to a state notice. I will continue to urge my colleagues to pass meaningful voting rights legislation.
State your position on immigration policy.
Presidents of both parties have failed to secure our border. We need to get more resources and personnel to the border to support our border control agents and prevent a humanitarian crisis. I’ve also introduced legislation to protect our border control agents from illegal drugs and keep dangerous fentanyl out of our communities by cracking down on its illicit supply chains at their source.
State your priorities on foreign policy and national security.
I am focused on getting aid to Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. It is time we put the politics aside and get this done. Additionally, as chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, I have pushed to sanction Russia for their unprovoked aggression and remove their Most Favored Nation status.
I’ve always fought against unfair trade policies that leave Ohio workers behind. I have stood up to presidents of both parties against bad trade deals and will continue fighting to expand manufacturing jobs in Ohio and across the nation. Recently, I successfully urged the Biden Administration to remove the trade pillar from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework to ensure workers weren’t cut out of the deal.
State your position on environmental policy and natural resources management.
I will always fight to protect our environment and Ohio’s natural resources for the next generation.
I championed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up Ohio’s vital water resources, fought for resources to better understand the effects of algal blooms on lakeshore communities, and worked across party lines to ensure the Army Corps of Engineers keeps the Cleveland Harbor and shipping channel clean.
We shouldn’t have to choose between good environmental policy and good-paying jobs. That’s why I support policies that decrease our dependence on foreign oil, safeguard our environment, and give Ohio manufacturers the tools they need to lead the renewable energy market.
State your position on healthcare policy.
I take a back seat to no one when it comes to standing up to Big Pharma — because no one should have to choose between staying healthy and paying their medical bills. That’s why I am fighting to ensure all Ohioans have access to quality, affordable healthcare.
Through the Inflation Reduction Act, we secured a $35 cap on out-of-pocket insulin costs for all Ohioans on Medicare. President Trump also signed my legislation‚ the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act, to increase transparency on drug prices and lower costs for Ohioans.
Additionally, I refused to accept Congressional health insurance until Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. I’ve also championed the protection of the Children’s Health Insurance Program to ensure our children have quality access to care.
What role, if any, should government take to ensure no person is discriminated against?
No one should be denied a fair shot because of their race, who they love, or their gender, and I will always oppose discrimination in any form. While working to protect individual rights, I am also focused on equal opportunities for all Ohioans by passing legislation to expand federal civil rights protections and fight LGBTQ discrimination in the housing market and the workplace.
As chair of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, I am standing up to powerful banks and predatory housing investors to ensure no one is discriminated against in the financial services or housing sectors and to make sure every Ohioan can fulfill the American Dream by purchasing and owning their own home.
Bernie Moreno
Republican
Candidate Email: bernie@berniemoreno.com
Editor’s note: This candidate did not respond to requests for information.
