Sen. Sherrod Brown's, D-Ohio, announcement Thursday he will not run for president bolstered White House aspirations for former Vice President Joe Biden, Politico reported.
Brown, a populist who toured early nominating states heralding "the dignity of work," was widely viewed as potentially drawing support from Biden, as well as from fellow progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Politico noted.
"I would think of all the candidates or potential candidates running that Sherrod's decision of not running would be most significant for Biden," former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who is supporting Washington Gov. Jay Inslee for president, told Politico.
"I mean Biden's been talking about the dignity of work forever," Strickland said. "I think Sherrod and Biden would have a similar message when it comes to those working unions."
Antjuan Seawright, a South Carolina-based Democratic strategist who worked for Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016, told Politico, "I don't think in our modern-day politics that any candidate can clear the field per se."
But, he said, "the Biden vehicle takes up lots of space on the political highway, which leaves not much room for other cars to travel."