BOARDMAN — U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey said Democrats can accomplish so much if Ohio and Pennsylvania voters elect U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, respectively, in their Senate bids.

Brown and Casey, Democrats and the senior senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania, spoke in support of primarily Ryan, but also Fetterman, during a rally Thursday at the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66 hall in Boardman.

“We will do big things if we can pick up these two seats,” Brown said.

But Bob Paduchik, Ohio Republican Party chairman, said in response to Thursday’s rally, “Sherrod Brown and Tim Ryan have two things in common: they are career politicians who abandoned working Ohioans long ago and they continue to vote in lock-step with the failed policies of (President Joe) Biden, (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi and (Senate Majority Leader Chuck) Schumer to the detriment of working families across Ohio.”

The Senate consists of 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans with Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, called upon a number of times to break ties. But U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema, Democrats from West Virginia and Arizona, respectively, have declined at times to vote with their political party, killing or reducing the impact of bills supported by other Democratic senators.

If Ryan and Fetterman win, they would capture seats currently held by Republicans.

Most polls show a statistical tie in Ohio between Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance and Fetterman with a slight lead that continues to decline against Republican Mehmet Oz.

Earlier in the day, Brown and Casey also campaigned in Steubenville.

If Democrats win those two Senate races, Brown said, “It means we codify Roe v. Wade, it means we pass the Protect the Right to Organize Act, it means we take on the drug companies and reduce the price of prescription drugs, it means we do a lot of the things we need to do in this country.”

Brown added that Ryan “has built a career being on the side of workers. It’s clear that Democrats have been on the side of working people. It’s how I’ve won in this state.”

Early voting starts Wednesday in Ohio.

dskolnick@vindy.com

dskolnick@tribtoday.com