Battleground Dem feels heat after Biden's debate as party turmoil continues

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is being slammed for his political similarity to President Biden as the president's poor June debate performance continues to pose concerns to Democrats in down-ballot races and on Capitol Hill.

"Joe Biden's politics now are not much different from mine," Brown says in the ad from Republican candidate Bernie Moreno's campaign. His quote comes from a 2021 interview. 

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Senate candidate Bernie Moreno released a new ad likening Sherrod Brown to Joe Biden as the president's poll numbers go down. (Getty Images)

The ad notes the vulnerable Democrat's proclivity to vote in line with Biden, with a narrator saying, "Extreme liberal Sherrod Brown voted with Biden 99% of the time." 

The campaign cited an analysis of Senate votes during the 117th Congress in 2021 and 2022, which showed Brown siding with Biden 98.5% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. 

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Bernie Moreno, left, and Sherrod Brown (Getty Images)

In 2023, during the first half of the 118th Congress, Brown voted with the president 97.9% of the time, per a separate FiveThirtyEight aggregation. 

"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," said Moreno spokesperson Reagan McCarthy in a statement. "Brown can try to run from his record of voting in lockstep with his longtime friend Joe Biden, but Ohioans know that he has rubber-stamped this administration's agenda every step of the way."

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Moreno is endorsed by former President Trump. (Getty Images)

The ad is part of a seven-figure statewide ad buy that will run on digital and streaming as well as through the mail. 

In the video, an additional clip of Brown is played from 2019, during which he says, "We have a president who is a racist," in reference to former President Trump.

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Biden has referred to Brown as his "buddy." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The ad further includes footage of Biden calling Brown his "buddy" and links to a website named JustLikeBiden.com. 

Brown spokesperson Matt Keyes said in a statement to Fox News Digital: "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."

"Meanwhile, Bernie Moreno can’t be trusted and only looks out for himself."

The Ohio Senate race is rated a "Toss Up" by nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report, alongside only two other Senate races. 

Brown is in a competitive race. (Joshua A. Bickel/Bloomberg)

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Moreno's latest ad against Brown tying his record to the president's comes as Biden continues to see a downturn in critical polls of the national electorate going into the November election. With split-ticket voting on the decline, candidates for Senate are much more likely to be elected if the presidential nominee at the top of their ticket also carries their state.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.