He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University in 1993, majoring in marketing and economics.

[9] In November 2018, Brenner was elected to Ohio's 19th senatorial district, representing Delaware, Knox and parts of Franklin counties.

[10] With Kristina Roegner, Brenner was a co-sponsor of SB 23, also known as the "Heartbeat Bill",[11] subsequently signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine, which significantly expanded the circumstances under which abortion would be treated as a felony.

[15] Brenner has been the subject of controversy multiple times throughout his legislative career for comparing functions of the state government to those of Nazi Germany.

[16][17] On April 22, 2020, immediately following Holocaust Remembrance Day, Brenner and his wife made public posts on Facebook comparing Ohio Department of Health policy concerning the COVID-19 pandemic of then-director Amy Acton, who is Jewish, to Nazi Germany.