Will Brown run for Ohio governor? Doesn’t sound like he’s ready for rocking chair. |Opinion

Thomas Suddes is simply a erstwhile legislative newsman with The Plain Dealer successful Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com

The apt 2026 enactment slates for Ohio’s statewide elected offices are starting to capable out, with ex-U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, hovering successful the background.

Voters retired Brown successful November, replacing him with Westlake Republican Bernie Moreno. But, Brown penning successful the celebrated wide mag The New Republic, whose founders included the renowned writer Walter Lippmann, said he’ll stay successful the arena.

This, from The New Republic article’s sub-headline: “Reconnecting the Democratic Party to the moving people is an electoral and a motivation imperative, and it volition beryllium my ngo for the remainder of my life.”

That doesn’t dependable similar sipping iced beverage successful the rocking seat of a status home’s prima porch.

It sounds alternatively similar a statewide 2026 run for a instrumentality to the Senate (by unseating appointed Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Upper Arlington) oregon moving for politician of Ohio adjacent twelvemonth against whomever the GOP slates for that job.

Could dems prime betwixt Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown?

If a Brown governorship were to emerge, that would make a perchance vexing dilemma for the Ohio Democratic organization, loyal to semipermanent officeholder Brown though it whitethorn be:

An Ohio Democrat is already moving energetically for the party’s 2026 gubernatorial nomination: Bexley Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, a Youngstown native, who — during the COVID pandemic — bravely and energetically served arsenic manager of Ohio’s authorities Health Department successful (Republican) Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration.

It’d beryllium absorbing to spot if, oregon how, Brown’s in-party fans mightiness effort to descent chap Democrat Acton – a highly qualified pistillate campaigner – retired of her quest for the governorship.

Republicans who’ve announced they’re seeking for the GOP’s 2026 gubernatorial information are Ohio Attorney General David Yost, of Columbus; Upper Arlington tech zillionaire Vivek Ramaswamy; and Heather Brazell-Hill, of Morgan County’s Malta.

Besides Acton, different Ohio Democrats who’ve announced they’re seeking statewide enforcement bureau nominations successful 2026 are a 2nd physician, Bryan Hambley, of suburban Cincinnati’s Loveland, who’s moving for Democrats’ information for caput of state; and erstwhile authorities Rep. Elliot Forhan, present of Greater Cleveland’s Brooklyn Heights, a Yale Law School postgraduate who’s moving for Democrats’ 2026 information for Ohio lawyer general.

For galore years, this had been a classical explanation of Ohio politics, a explanation formulated successful 1960 by Thomas Flinn, a student past astatine Oberlin, aboriginal a subordinate of Cleveland State’s faculty: “Ohio is present and has agelong been a competitory two-party authorities successful which the Republicans bask the advantage. From the adjacent of the Civil War to the predetermination of 1896 the Republicans carried the authorities successful each statesmanlike contention (seven), but the result of these elections successful Ohio was invariably close.”

Will Ohio enactment red?

Not now, though, owed to the GOP’s statewide successes and Ohio Democrats’ weaknesses. Ohio formed its statesmanlike electoral votes successful 2016, 2020 for 2024 for Donald Trump and his moving mates — past year, for now-Vice President J.D. Vance, of Butler County’s Middletown.

Take a glance: Ohio Republicans power each statewide elected enforcement office. They’ve tally the Ohio Senate since January 1985 – for 40 years, astir surely an Ohio grounds – and controlled Ohio’s House for each but 2 years since January 1995 (that is, 28 years – opposition that with Democrat Vern Riffe’s 20-year Ohio House speakership, from 1975 done 1994).

Republicans clasp some of Ohio’s national Senate seats, with Westlake’s Moreno and Upper Arlington’s Jon Husted.

And successful ironic mimicry of 1983, a twelvemonth of the locusts for Ohio Republicans, Democrats present clasp lone 1 statewide elected bureau – the Ohio Supreme Court spot held by Justice Jennifer Brunner.

And past there’s what was erstwhile Ohio Democratic bedrock: Mahoning County (Youngstown), for decades an overwhelming bastion of Democratic power, formed 54% of its ballot for Trump, 50.2% for Senate nominee Moreno, and 51.7 % for J.D. Vance (in 2022, for the Senate).

All that leaves Ohio Democrats retired successful the acold unless they tract an appealing and perchance victorious 2026 statewide ticket— without alienating the party’s cardinal constituencies, which hap to see those Democratic women backing Amy Acton for governor.

Thomas Suddes is simply a erstwhile legislative newsman with The Plain Dealer successful Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. tsuddes@gmail.com

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected The Columbus Dispatch: Will Sherrod Brown situation Amy Acton for Ohio politician nod? |Opinion