Sherrod Brown touts 'dignity of work' in new ad
Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown's campaign is out with a new ad praising the "dignity in work" and evoking his blue-collar message in his reelection bid.
In the new spot shared with NBC News, Brown is heard talking about the importance of treating American workers well over video of line cooks, teachers, barbers, electricians and other workers.
"There is dignity in work. Whether you collect minimum wage, punch a clock or earn a salary, your hard labor should pay off in fair wages and benefits, affordable health care, in overtime pay when you earn it," Brown says.
"Because patriotism demands investing in American workers. And if you love this country, you fight for the people who make it work."
The Brown campaign confirmed the new spot will be part of a new seven-figure buy starting on Tuesday.
The campaign already has more than $6 million booked on air from early September through Election Day, data from Advertising Analytics shows.
The spot exemplifies how Brown is looking to win again in a state in which he's served for decades, but one that President Trump won by 8 points in 2016.
Democrats have sought to find a way to win back many of the blue-collar voters that Trump wooed away from the party in 2016, with some looking to red-state Democrats like Brown as an example. He's strung together a successful career in the state while leaning on his populist, pro-worker message that is front and center again in this reelection campaign.
Brown's campaign has made that pitch with issues like the economy and trade. Exit polls from the 2016 presidential race showed the majority of Ohio voters most concerned about the economy and a near-majority preferring Trump's economic message to Clinton's. That polling also found that 46 percent of Ohio voters said trade with other countries took away American jobs.
Renacci, Brown's opponent, has targeted the Senator's progressive record and has argued that Ohioans want a senator more in line with Trump. His campaign's first ad included video of Trump lauding Renacci during a February trip to Ohio and argues that Renacci "knows the Trump agenda works for Ohio."
Brown led Renacci by 13 points in a June NBC News/Marist poll of registered voters.