He may lack the star power and profile of other 2020 hopefuls, but Democrats are paying increasing attention to Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator for Ohio, as they search for the person who could eject President Trump from the White House.

The liberal, populist Democrat managed to win a third term in culturally conservative Ohio, where the Trump coalition held together in state and federal contests and resisted the blue tide that swept Republicans from power across America. Now, as Democrats look for someone who can defeat Trump, they are wondering whether Brown’s combination of unabashed progressivism and labor populism could be the answer to recapturing Midwest voters.