Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who lost his reelection bid to businessman Bernie Moreno in the Nov. 5 general election, claimed that the GOP “rigged the system” to secure his defeat. In a heated interview with CNN on Thursday, Brown alleged that Republicans manipulated the election process and spent millions on ads that misled voters, particularly those related to transgender issues.
Brown’s loss to Moreno was close, with the businessman winning 50.2% of the vote compared to Brown’s 46.6%. Brown specifically pointed to Republican ads that highlighted Vice President Kamala Harris’s support for transgender prisoners receiving sex-change operations while she was attorney general of California. Brown argued that these ads, which he claimed cost $40 million, were dishonest and shifted focus away from important issues like education, healthcare, and job creation.
“They lie about it and put — in this case, they — they’ve spent $40 million on 8 different ads on that issue,” Brown complained. “They weren’t talking about how to make Ohio a better state. They’re not doing their job on education. They’re not doing their job on health care. They’re not doing their job on creating jobs.”
When asked by CNN’s Manu Raju whether Democrats were out of touch with voters on these issues, Brown strongly denied the accusation and instead doubled down on his claim that Republicans were using dishonest tactics to win elections. He accused the GOP of “rigging the system” by making it harder to vote, citing changes to ballot language and election laws. Brown specifically referenced the handling of abortion rights in Ohio, where voters approved an amendment to protect abortion access despite GOP attempts to alter the ballot language.
Brown’s assertion came as Republicans saw significant gains in the 2024 election, winning a total of four Senate seats, including those of Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV). Despite these setbacks for Democrats, President-elect Donald Trump won Ohio in a landslide, securing 55.2% of the vote to Kamala Harris’s 43.9%.
Brown’s loss, combined with the broader GOP victories, signals a shift in political dynamics in Ohio and other key states, with Republicans continuing to dominate in many battleground areas. However, Brown’s comments reflect ongoing frustrations among Democrats about election tactics and messaging, which they view as key factors in their defeat.
