With the November general election just over 30 days away, Ohio is the battleground for control of the U.S. Senate.
Now. President Trump is expected to come to Montgomery County to drum up support for Sen. Jon Husted in what many are calling a very close race with Sherrod Brown.
News Center 7’s Cody Butler talked with experts who say Trump’s visit is a double-edged sword.
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Republicans are expecting a large crowd of supporters at Vandalia-Butler High School on Saturday, where President Trump outlines why voters should send Sen. Husted back to Washington, D.C.
Some analysts say it shows just how close this election really is.
Mark Caleb Smith, Professor with Cedarville University Center for Political Studies, says, “He is a double-edged sword of political presence right now, even in a state like Ohio.”
Trump is zeroing in on about 30 close races across the country to maintain Republican control for the rest of his term, and this includes Ohio’s Senate race.
A recent poll from Bowling Green State University shows the election is too close to call, with Sherrod Brown having a slight advantage.
Smith says the fact that Trump is coming to the Miami Valley shows Republicans are worried that’s the case.
“I think bringing President Trump in at this point tells me they may have some concerns about the enthusiasm within their own base. And they feel like they need to generate that up a little bit,” Smith said.
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The chair of the Montgomery County Democrats, Jocelyn Rhynard, agrees.
“It says something that he is here. Husted needs all the help he can get across Ohio, but specifically in the Miami Valley,” Rhynard said.
The chair of the Montgomery County Republican Party, Phil Plummer, says the president’s visits are to help voters turn out.
“The goal is for the president to get that base out. That’s his base, to get him out and vote in the gubernatorial race so we can win this election,” Plummer said.
Smith said, ideally, he’d want voters to look at who they think is the best candidate for Ohio – knowing this year’s election is different.
“This is a campaign about which party you’d prefer to be in power for the next two years. Because this race matters that much,” Smith said.
Plummer said the president is planning more stops in Ohio between now and Election Day.
“We look forward to hosting President Trump in Ohio this weekend, a state he won decisively three times. 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. We’re excited to share these accomplishments with Ohioans in Vandalia this weekend.”
— Sen. Jon Husted Campaign
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