COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Monday, former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown introduced a new initiative designed to champion the rights and perspectives of American workers. Dubbed the Dignity of Work Institute, this non-partisan organization seeks to dive deeper into the realities of working-class lives through comprehensive polling, interviews, and research activities. Brown has been a persistent advocate for the “Dignity of Work,” a philosophy he has consistently promoted throughout his political career and recently reiterated in a national magazine as essential for the Democratic Party’s success.
The institute’s formation coincides with ongoing discussions about Brown’s political aspirations, especially following the Democratic Party’s subpar performance in the 2024 elections, which resulted in the Republican Party gaining control of all three federal branches. However, Brown clarified that the institute is not aligned with any political party or campaign. Its initial national survey did not reference him but instead scrutinized political rhetoric regarding the economy. He criticized the political conversation as being “fundamentally flawed” and disconnected from the realities faced by workers.
At 72, Brown is contemplating whether to pursue political office again, following his defeat last year to Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno in a bid for a fourth Senate term. Before this setback, Brown had a prominent 30-year tenure in Congress, consistently winning elections in Ohio, even as the state shifted to a Republican stronghold during Donald Trump’s presidency. “My focus isn’t there now,” Brown stated. “I’m not going around the state campaigning. My focus is on getting this up and running.”
Located in Columbus, Ohio’s capital, the institute underscores Brown’s commitment to his home state over coastal metropolitan hubs. Brown and his wife, Connie Schultz—a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist—relocated to Columbus recently to be nearer to their grandchildren, relocating from their previous residence in Cleveland. Brown emphasized, “This isn’t a plaything, this isn’t a launch for higher office. I’m serious about this. I always have been on these issues.”
Brown penned an article for The New Republic, laying out his vision for revitalizing the national Democratic Party by reconnecting with working-class voters. “We cannot solve this problem without an honest assessment of who we are,” he wrote. He argued that the Democratic Party’s self-image as the champions of the working and middle classes no longer resonates with many voters.
In conversation, Brown expressed dissatisfaction with both major political parties’ engagement with worker issues. “The Democratic Party is the compensate-the-betrayed (party),” he stated. “You know, we pass a trade agreement, people lose jobs we give them a little money. The Republicans are the party of compensate-the-winners, tax cuts for rich people.” He added, “Neither party is the make-workers-the-winners party, and that’s what this is about.”
Brown is slated to deliver the keynote address at the progressive Center for American Progress Action Fund’s event on Wednesday titled “Working-Class Voters, the Economy, and the Democratic Party.”