'His vulnerability is being a Democrat': Ohio's Sherrod Brown eyes re-election

US senator is popular among blue-collar workers and people of color, but seat not assured in increasingly Republican state.

The Democrats desperately need Sherrod Brown. Whether the Ohio senator is quite so keen on being identified with the party as he fights for re-election in a state that swung firmly to Donald Trump is another matter.

Brown's seat is one of three tight races for the Democrats next year that are likely to decide control of the US Senate. The prevailing winds are not good. Republicans now control every state-wide office in Ohio except for Brown's place in the Senate. Trump took the state from the Democrats to win it twice by a margin of more than 8% each time.