When Sen. Sherrod Brown toured Columbus last week with Vice President Joe Biden, the buzz grew louder that this progressive Ohioan was on the short list for vice president.
Brown has two qualities that experts say Hillary Clinton needs in a running mate – an edge to win a battleground state, and a progressive voting record to sway Bernie Sanders’ fans and blue collar union voters to her side.
“In many ways he’s the perfect pick,” said David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. “If you want to win the White House, you have to win Ohio.”
But Brown has one big downside that may be insurmountable.
That’s because Democrats are hoping to take back the Senate majority this year.
If Brown makes it to the White House, then Republican Gov. John Kasich will appoint a replacement to finish his remaining two years. And that will almost certainly be a Republican.
“That’s the downside that I’m sure will be weighed very strongly,” Pepper said. “Short of that, he’s the perfect candidate.”
But Cincinnati attorney and Democratic party activist Paul DeMarco believes Brown’s strength as a running mate outweighs the loss of the Senate seat.
“If you have particularly strong logical choice as I think Sherrod would be, I think that outweighs any potential problem,” DeMarco said. “I think we as Democrats have to have enough confidence in our ability to win back Sherrod’s seat if that were to happen, and to not let that be the driver of the decision.”
In the end, Clinton will make the final choice, and announce her running mate at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in late July.
Here’s what experts say Clinton is considering:
Tough on Trade
Brown has been one of the Senate’s most outspoken critics of foreign trade agreements, which he says have sold out the middle class and smothered job growth in Ohio. This could help him win blue collar, union votes for Clinton – the exact voters that Donald Trump is now trying to attract.
“No one has fought harder against some of deals that Donald Trump now finds himself against than Sherrod Brown," Pepper said. "He has been on top of those issues for decades.”
Most recently, Brown opposed Obama over a sweeping 12-nation trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, because he believed it would hurt the auto industry in Ohio.
This could be especially important in areas in Ohio where Trump did win – such as the eastern, rural part of the state.
Progressive Like Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders’ fans may need some convincing to show up to the polls on Election Day. Many of his supporters believe Sanders was treated unfairly during the primary, which resulted in Clinton as the presumptive nominee. Some have sworn not to vote for Clinton. She will undoubtedly try to reach these voters by choosing a progressive running mate.
“Sherrod has never wavered from his strong progressive views,” Demarco said. “It’s no secret that he’s been rated in the top two or three most progressive members of the Senate.”
Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks alongside Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley in March to announce a raise in the minimum wage for city employees and promote national legislation boosting the federal minimum wage.
Ohio State University political science professor Herb Asher agrees, noting that Brown has been very pro worker and a leader in trying to revitalize the manufacturing industry.
“He has very, very strong record on a whole variety of issues that will probably help him appeal to working class voters maybe a little better than Secretary Clinton does,” Asher said.
Clinton is also reportedly considering another vocal progressive: Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But she faces the same problem as Brown because her home state of Massachusetts also has a Republican governor.
Delivering Battleground Ohio
Once again, Ohio will be crucial to winning the White House.
A recent poll had Trump and Clinton in a virtual dead heat in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. So Brown could offer a valuable edge in winning the Buckeye State for Clinton.
Brown is widely known in Ohio. Before his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, he was a former Congressman, Ohio Secretary of State and state representative.
“Ohio is key battleground state,” Asher said. “He could be very helpful in making the margin in Ohio.”
But Clinton is also considering as a running mate Sen. Tim Kaine because Virginia is another “very, very critical” state in the election, Asher said.
Also reportedly on the short list of potential running mates are Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, both of which could help deliver the Hispanic vote, Asher said.
"I think the number one quality you want as a running mate is somebody you can imagine being president should something happen," Asher said. "That’s where John McCain failed."
McCain chose former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. In January, she endorsed Trump for president.
