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

CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM, COLUMBUS, Ohio- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (pictured), a Cleveland Democrat and Ohio's most prominent Democrat, on Tuesday announced his endorsement of former president Joe Biden for president as Ohio's April 28 extended primary deadline nears, an election relegated to main-in-only status that was delayed after Gov. Mike DeWine cancelled the state's March 17 primary in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

A three-term senator who ousted Gov. DeWine in 2006 to win the powerful U.S. senate seat in a state where the Republicans hold all of the statewide offices except two seats on the seven-member Ohio Supreme Court, Brown, 67, said that Biden is best suited to lead the country, particularly since the coronavirus pandemic began crippling the nation and tearing at its economy.

"Joe Biden has dedicated his life to serving our country, and has never forgotten whom he fights for, said Brown in a press release relative to his endorsement of the Democratic front-runner for president. "As we face both a public health crisis and an economy in turmoil, we need a steady hand more than ever."

A Republican like Gov. DeWine, incumbent President Donald Trump, who has no notable Republican opponent and who campaigned for DeWine on the eve of the election when he won for governor in 2018 over Democrat Richard Cordray, won the pivotal state of Ohio by eight points in 2016 over then Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Ohio now has some 4782 coronavirus cases, coupled with 167 deaths.

Brown said that "Biden has the experience, the tenacity, and the empathy to lead in a crisis, and the hope to bring us together, and steer us toward brighter days ahead."

The field of more than 28 Democratic candidates for president has now been essentially narrowed down to two, U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Biden, who was the vice president under former president Barack Obama, the nation's first Black president.

Brown's endorsement builds on the list of nearly 70 current and former elected officials and community leaders from across Ohio who have endorsed Biden, including Congresspersons Tim Ryan, Marcia Fudge ad Marcy Kaptur, former Ohio governor Ted Strickland, Cordray, former Congressman Edward Feighan, Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, former Columbus City Council Member Mary Jo Hudson, State Senator Herceal Craig, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, and Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown.

Ohio was one of four states slated to hold primaries on March 17, primaries also scheduled for Florida, Illinois and Arizona, all three of them going forward with Biden sweeping all three states.

Since then, more than 14 states have postponed primaries.

While Biden leads Sanders in pledged delegates, Sanders said he will stay in the race, the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee moved from June to August as a result of the coronavirus, which has claimed 83,474 lives worldwide with some 12,857 deaths in the U.S. alone.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.