Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown to skip Democratic National Convention amid tough Senate campaign

Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio's top Democrat, won't attend the Democratic National Convention this month as he fights to keep his seat in a high-profile race.

Democrats in Ohio and across the country will convene in Chicago beginning Aug. 19 to mark the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris. Delegates voted to put Harris on the ballot during a virtual roll call, officially making her the first Black woman to become a presidential nominee.

In an interview with CNN, Brown said he often skips conventions and doesn't plan to campaign with Harris this fall. A campaign spokesperson confirmed the senator's statements but declined to comment further. The Ohio Democratic Party referred a reporter to Brown's campaign.

Brown spoke at the 2016 DNC and moderated a town hall about the economy during the Democrats' 2008 convention, according to a schedule published by NBC News.

"I've got my own schedule,” he told CNN, which first reported his plans for this year's DNC. "(Harris has) got her own schedule. I will focus on my race."

Brown is seeking a fourth term in office against Republican businessman Bernie Moreno in one of the country's most competitive Senate races. He is one of two Democrats running in states won by former President Donald Trump, and the outcome in Ohio could determine which party controls the Senate.

Knowing that, GOP and Democratic groups are expected to pour tens of millions of dollars into the Buckeye State.

Brown has sought to avoid nationalizing his campaign and distance himself from presidential politics, although he eventually called on President Joe Biden to drop out. The strategy is a stark contrast to Moreno, who touts his endorsement from Trump and accepted a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention last month.

Moreno is also working to tie his opponent to Harris and Biden administration policies.

"Sherrod Brown votes with Biden and Harris nearly 100% of the time for open borders, a plummeting economy and a war on American energy, and that record is toxic in Ohio," Moreno spokesperson Reagan McCarthy said. "In the toughest reelection of his 50-year political career, Sherrod is running scared of his record of voting with this disastrous administration."

Brown isn't the only Ohio Democrat facing a tough reelection bid this fall. U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo, Emilia Sykes of Akron and Greg Landsman of Cincinnati are all defending their seats in districts deemed key targets by both parties.

A spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party said Landsman and Sykes are expected to attend the DNC. Kaptur's campaign did not immediately respond to questions about her plans.

USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau reporter Jessie Balmert contributed.

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown to skip Democratic National Convention