Despite often being described as “electable,” U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, said during a keynote speech Saturday the idea of electability is a myth, and Democrats have no excuse for not embracing liberal values.

In his roughly 10-minute address to the crowd in Philadelphia at Netroots Nation – a convention geared toward liberal activism and politics – Brown pumped up his Democratic bona fides and reiterated his criticism of Republican President Donald Trump, including calling him a racist.

Brown started his address, which preceded a forum with several presidential candidates, by rejecting the notion that Democrats must tack to the center to win elections.

“The electability myth is, in fact, a myth. Let me tell you why,” Brown said. “Donald Trump won Ohio by almost double digits in 2016. Last year I won re-election by almost 7 points. I didn’t compromise on women’s rights. I never compromised on LGBTQ rights.”

Brown won re-election to a third term in 2018, the only Democrat to win statewide partisan office just two years after Trump, a Republican, won the state by 8 percentage points.

Following his November victory, he openly explored the idea of running for the presidency. Ironically, before deciding against a White House bid, voters often described Brown as “electable.”

In his speech, he noted that while Ohio has been trending Republican, he won comfortably – all while being one of the most liberal senators in the country.

“I have a lifetime ‘A’ rating from Planned Parenthood and a lifetime ‘F’ from the (National Rifle Association),” Brown said. “I stood on a debate stage in the most conservative part of Ohio last year during my Senate race. I told the audience that climate change is the defining moral issue of our times and we must act. I went to the Columbus airport and joined protests against the Muslim ban.

“I called Donald Trump a racist because he was and is,” Brown continued. “I won the swing state of Ohio by 7 points. Elections aren’t about some electability calculation. They’re about one question. Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of workers or corporations? Are you on the side of consumers or Wall Street? Are you on the side of patients or drug companies? Are you on the side of voters or dark money?”

Brown also expanded on his campaign theme of the “dignity of work” to the crowd. He noted that the theme was not a direct attack on Trump supporters.

“Dignity of work is not code for targeting white men who voted for Trump,” Brown said. “That’s a losing strategy. That’s a betrayal of our values.”

Brown’s Philadelphia address is the beginning of a busy weekend for the senator. On Sunday, he’ll travel to El Paso to visit the border and meet with immigration activists. On Monday, he’ll be in Pittsburgh for the installation of new officers for the United Steelworkers.