Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown easily cruised to victory Tuesday evening, trouncing Democratic opponent Ron Kincaid and securing the Democratic nomination for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat.

The Associated Press called the primary election for Brown at about 8:00 pm ET.

Dignitaries at Brown's victory party on Tuesday, all of them Democrats, included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairman David Brock, and 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Shontel Brown, who introduced Sherrod Brown at the gathering and teased that "he is my cousin."

Brown will face incumbent Sen. Jon Husted in November, Husted a President Trump ally and Republican appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat vacated when J.D. Vance became Vice President.

During his victory speech at the Forest City Brewery in Cleveland on Tuesday night, Brown told hundreds of cheering supporters in attendance and a slew of media outlets on hand that he is the comeback kid and that his election is critical to Ohio and the United States.

After 18 years in the Senate, he lost his bid for reelection in November 2024 to Republican Bernie Moreno, also a Trump ally.

"Together we are going to win," he said to applause, adding that "life is too expensive, paychecks are too low, and costs are too high."

He said Husted is a liability to Ohioians and favors higher healthcare costs and billionaires over workers. He, on the other hand, will fight for Ohioans and for "workers over billionaires," which is a core theme of his campaign.

The Brown-Husted race for the U.S. Senate this year is expected to be crucial for determining the balance of power in Washington, with both parties targeting it as a critical pickup opportunity. Only time will tell.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com are the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and the Midwest. Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com.