Sherrod Brown in tough election fight as Ohio crash tests Democrats’ chances

Leftwing senator has bucked trend of statewide Democratic losses but derailment in East Palestine set to test re-election hopes

US Senator Sherrod Brown has survived a decade of statewide Democratic losses in Ohio by building a reputation as the rare person in his party who can still connect with the white working-class voters who have increasingly shifted to Republicans.

But as he heads into what could be a tough re-election campaign, Brown is facing a critical test in the aftermath of the train derailment in the eastern Ohio village of East Palestine.