Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown officially launched his campaign Monday to reclaim a U.S. Senate seat next year, aiming for a political comeback after his bitter loss to Republican Bernie Moreno last fall. Brown, one of Ohio’s most prominent Democrats, expressed confidence that his pro-working-class message will resonate with voters once again.

Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted, a former lieutenant governor and secretary of state who currently holds the seat after being appointed in January to succeed JD Vance, now vice president. The upcoming election will decide who serves the remaining two years of the term.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Brown said he wasn’t planning to return to politics until witnessing the Senate pass former President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cuts and spending reductions last month. He criticized the bill for favoring the wealthy while cutting programs for low-income Americans like Medicaid, calling it evidence of a “rigged system” he’s fought against his entire career.

“We just couldn’t stay on the sideline,” Brown said. “Nobody in the Senate is speaking out for Ohio workers — nobody. That’s my job, and it’s what I’ve always done.”

At 72, Brown remains one of Democrats’ strongest prospects as they fight to regain control of the Senate despite a challenging electoral map. Alongside former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Brown is among the high-profile candidates recruited for 2025. Meanwhile, Republicans are facing candidate recruitment issues in other battleground states like Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is a top GOP target.

Brown noted that many Ohioans encouraged him to run, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Labor leaders, while initially divided, are expected to rally behind Brown, especially as GOP front-runner Vivek Ramaswamy — a Trump-endorsed biotech entrepreneur — poses a significant threat to labor interests.

Brown founded a pro-worker nonprofit under his “Dignity of Work” banner earlier this year and promises to be labor’s voice in Washington again. He has not endorsed a Democratic candidate for governor yet but indicated full union backing for his Senate campaign.

Husted’s campaign responded by claiming Brown faces “the biggest hole of his political career,” citing Ohio’s increasingly Republican tilt after a decade of Trump dominance. GOP strategists argue Brown underestimated the state’s shift to the right and faces a well-funded opponent in Husted, who raised $2.9 million last quarter.

Brown, however, fired back: “My career has been about workers. His career has been about special interests,” referencing Husted’s ties to an energy company embroiled in a $60 million bribery scandal, although Husted has never been charged.

Next year’s race is set to be a high-stakes battle, following what was the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history between Brown and Moreno last cycle.