Early in-person voting and absentee voting by mail have begun across Ohio, leading up to the November midterm elections. These elections are framed as a referendum on the current status quo, allowing voters to express approval or disapproval of ongoing conditions.
Former President Donald Trump recently returned to Vandalia, for the first time since his 2024 campaign stop at the Dayton airport, to rally support for Ohio Republicans in tight races for the U.S. Senate and governor. During his address at Butler High School, Trump claimed Ohio’s economy is “booming.” This assertion came just days before a nearby truck factory laid off 1,400 workers. Recent polling in the state indicates that a majority of Ohio voters believe their state is on the wrong track economically, giving the state a fair or poor rating, with Trump’s job approval specifically at 35%.
Affordability remains a top concern for Ohioans in the weeks before the election. Reports indicate inflation is outpacing income, causing costs to climb for essentials such as childcare, utilities, housing, groceries, healthcare, and gasoline. State lawmakers enacted a temporary gas tax pause, described as a pre-election gimmick, which has not significantly eased financial burdens. Additionally, the source points to Trump’s “endless war of choice in Iran” as a factor driving up gas and diesel prices, which in turn increases the cost of moving products. His “reckless tariffs” have also reportedly impacted families and businesses across the state. Despite Trump’s claims of a “golden age” for Ohio, many Ohioans are reported to not be experiencing it.
The rally also featured contentious remarks regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield. Trump made several false statements, inferring that they had “ruined a beautiful, idyllic town” and promising they would soon be “all being brought back to their country.” However, most immigrants living and working in the metro Springfield area arrived legally through Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian relief program for people fleeing unsafe countries. The Trump administration had previously ended TPS for Haiti, despite the country being deemed too dangerous for American travel. Rally attendees reportedly chanted “Deport!” during Trump’s comments on the issue. These remarks were made on the same day the Springfield community buried a 20-year-old college student who reportedly took his own life over the shame of wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ankle monitor. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife were among those who grieved in Springfield and attended the funeral. Gov. DeWine commented on the young man’s passing, stating, “This country needs people like Pierre Damas Bel.” Even after the young man’s death, anti-immigrant hostility continued to appear online. Despite escalating ICE activity across Ohio following federal termination of TPS for nationals from countries like Haiti, Syria, and Yemen, recent polling indicates that a majority of voters disapprove of brutal ICE tactics, even while expressing strong support for secure borders.
Another significant issue highlighted during Trump’s speech was the expansion of data centers in Ohio. Trump promoted these data centers, even as U.S. Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy were reportedly “under fire for them.” Polls indicate that most Ohioans do not support Trump’s optimistic outlook on the state’s rapid data center expansion, which was reportedly “greenlit by state and local governments with zero transparency or community input.” Ohio currently hosts over 200 gigantic data centers that consume vast amounts of energy and millions of gallons of water daily, while generating continuous noise pollution and air emissions from backup generators. Ohioans are described as “subsidizing tech companies” worth trillions with higher utility bills and substantial tax breaks, as AI giants strain grids and deplete local resources without public guardrails or creating significant permanent jobs within the community. Trump reportedly dismissed concerns about data centers, commending Husted for a “futile attempt” to pass a “toothless” Senate bill with optional ratepayer protections that states would only be required to consider, without actual safeguards around covering data center energy use.
The upcoming elections are positioned as a “moment of reckoning” for Ohioans, allowing voters to express their views on these varied issues. The outcome will reflect how voters feel about the candidates and the direction of the state.
