Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown opts out of 2020

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) won't be bringing his red state success to the next level.

The Democrat has been considering a presidential run since he handily won re-election in his increasingly Republican state last fall. But in a Thursday statement, Brown pulled his name out of consideration, saying "the best place" for him to keep "fighting for all workers across the country ... is in the United States Senate."

Brown pulled an easy victory in the midterms, in part because of his focus on workers' rights. He even embarked on a "Dignity of Work" listening tour that, with stops in Iowa and New Hampshire, looked awfully like the start of a presidential campaign. Despite bowing out, Brown maintained that pro-union focus in his Thursday statement, saying he'd "continue to make the dignity of work a central focus for Democrats in 2020." Read his whole statement below. Kathryn Krawczyk

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