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**Title**: Sherrod Brown Slammed for Biden-Like Politics as President's Poll Numbers Sink

**Sapo**: Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is running an ad likening Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown to President Biden, highlighting Brown's high voting alignment with Biden and using footage of Brown criticizing former President Trump.

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**Article**:

FIRST ON FOX: President Biden's declining poll numbers and widely panned June debate performance are casting a shadow on down-ballot races, with Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno releasing an ad likening his opponent, Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown, to the unpopular president.

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The ad, part of a seven-figure statewide buy, features a quote from Brown in a 2021 interview, where he declared, "Joe Biden's politics now are not much different from mine." The narrator then highlights Brown's near-perfect voting alignment with Biden, citing an analysis that shows Brown voted with the president 99% of the time during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) and 97.9% of the time during the first half of the 118th Congress (2023).

"Sherrod Brown votes with Biden 99% of the time for his disastrous agenda that has destroyed our economy, created a wide open southern border, waged war on American energy, and sold out Ohio workers," Moreno spokesperson Reagan McCarthy said in a statement.

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The ad also includes footage of Brown from 2019, where he labeled former President Trump a "racist." Biden has referred to Brown as his "buddy," which is also featured in the ad.

Brown's spokesperson, Matt Keyes, defended his record, stating, "Sherrod works for Ohio, which is why he’s stood up to presidents of both parties to block bad trade deals, worked with Republicans to make sure border patrol agents and law enforcement officers have the resources they need, and demanded the Biden Administration crack down on Chinese solar products that undercut Ohio manufacturers."

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The Ohio Senate race is considered a "Toss Up" by nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report, alongside only two other Senate races. Split-ticket voting has been declining in recent elections, making it more likely that candidates for Senate will be elected if the presidential nominee at the top of their ticket also carries their state.

Moreno's ad comes as Biden's approval ratings continue to languish in the low 40s, according to recent polls. The president's handling of inflation, immigration, and the economy has been widely criticized, and his speech at the Democratic National Committee's summer meeting was met with lackluster enthusiasm.

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The ad is an attempt by Moreno to nationalize the Ohio Senate race and tie Brown to Biden's unpopularity. It remains to be seen whether the ad will resonate with voters, but it is a clear indication that Biden's troubles are impacting down-ballot races across the country.