President Donald Trump will travel to Ohio on Oct. 3 to energize his supporters as Republicans find themselves locked in tight races for governor and U.S. Senate.
Trump will be joined by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, and other GOP politicians at a rally at Butler High School in the Dayton suburb of Vandalia. The event begins at 5:30 p.m., according to the Republican National Committee, with Trump scheduled to take the stage at 7 p.m.
The president's visit comes one month before Ohio voters will choose a new governor and decide a nationally-watched Senate race between Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Trump decisively won Ohio all three times he appeared on the ballot, and statewide races have trended toward Republicans in recent years.
Still, polls suggest the Buckeye State could be in play as voters contend with high gas prices and worry about the economy. Trump's approval rating in Ohio sat at 35% in a new Suffolk University/USA TODAY Ohio Network survey of likely voters.
"I would imagine that (Trump) takes a lot of pride in having shifted the quintessential battleground state that Ohio has always been," said Christopher Devine, a political scientist at the University of Dayton. "I would think he'd be especially sensitive to seeing this state, which is really a symbol of his political success, moving the opposite direction."
Trump visit puts spotlight on Ohio races
Trump's visit is one of several red-state trips he's expected to make in the coming weeks, Politico reported. And it underscores Ohio's importance on the national political map.
The race between Husted and Brown has attracted nearly $400 million in spending, according to AdImpact, as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the Senate. Husted was appointed to the seat formerly held by Vice President JD Vance in 2025 and must win on Nov. 3 to serve out the rest of Vance's term.
"Jon Husted worked with President Trump to deliver the largest tax cut for working families in our state's history, eliminated taxes on tips and overtime, and fixed the Joe Biden-Sherrod Brown open-border crisis," Husted spokesperson Amy Natoce said. "We're excited to share these accomplishments with Ohioans in Vandalia this weekend."
Brown's campaign declined to comment for this story.
Ohio Republican Party chair Alex Triantafilou said the party in power always faces a dip in voter enthusiasm during the midterms, but he contends GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is ginning up excitement among Republicans. The party also launched a program to reach Ohioans who tend to vote less often.
Triantafilou believes Trump's visit can help with those efforts.
"The president is our best messenger, especially on someone like Sherrod Brown," he said. "President Trump won the presidency running against what Sherrod Brown represents, and that’s a career 40-year politician with a record of a lot of talk and not a lot of action."
To Democrats, the rally means something entirely different. Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair Jocelyn Rhynard said Husted is using the president to "revive his sagging campaign" as Ohioans struggle with their gas and grocery bills.
"It's also worth remembering how Sen. Husted got his job," Rhynard said. "He was appointed to fill JD Vance's seat, and he has never faced Ohio voters in a Senate race. That's why this election matters. Ohioans finally get to decide who represents them, and it will be Sherrod Brown, who answers to Ohioans instead of to Washington."
State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at hbemiller@usatodayco.com or @haleybemiller on X.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trump returns to Ohio as GOP faces headwinds in high-stakes election
