President Donald Trump is launching a four-state campaign swing to support Republican candidates in Ohio, Alaska, Montana and Arizona as tightening Senate contests and voter concerns over the economy complicate the party’s effort to retain control of Congress in November.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will travel to Ohio on Monday and Alaska on Tuesday to campaign for Republican Senate incumbents facing competitive Democratic challenges, beginning a week of political appearances intended to strengthen GOP support in states that backed him during the 2024 presidential election.
The president’s itinerary also includes planned stops in Montana and Arizona later in the week, expanding his involvement in the final stages of the midterm campaign as Republicans attempt to defend their congressional majorities. With Election Day approaching Nov. 3, the visits come amid concerns within the party about voter dissatisfaction with the economy, elevated energy costs and Trump’s declining approval ratings.
The campaign schedule places particular emphasis on Ohio and Alaska, where Republican Sens. Jon Husted and Dan Sullivan are seeking to retain seats against former Democratic officeholders with established statewide recognition. Both contests have become more competitive than Republicans initially anticipated, drawing increased attention from national political organizations and the White House.
According to Reuters’ reporting on the president’s campaign plans, Trump is concentrating his latest appearances in states he carried in 2024, seeking to encourage his supporters to participate in an election that will determine the balance of power in Congress during the final two years of his presidency.
The first stop is Youngstown, Ohio, where Trump is scheduled to hold a rally Monday in support of Husted, a former lieutenant governor appointed to the Senate after JD Vance resigned his seat to become vice president.
Husted faces former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is attempting a political comeback after losing his previous Senate seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in the 2024 election.
Despite Trump’s comfortable victory in Ohio two years ago, the special election has developed into one of the more closely watched Senate contests of the current cycle.
The latest RealClearPolling average for the Ohio Senate race places Brown at 47.3% and Husted at 44.2%, giving the Democrat an advantage of approximately 3.1 percentage points across surveys conducted between Sept. 1 and Oct. 6.
The polling figures illustrate the challenge facing Husted in a state where Republicans have strengthened their position over the past decade. Trump carried Ohio by approximately 11 percentage points in 2024, while Moreno defeated Brown in the same election.
Brown’s return to the ballot has nevertheless introduced an experienced challenger with a history of winning statewide elections. The former senator served three terms in the chamber and previously held positions in the U.S. House of Representatives and Ohio state government.
Throughout his Senate career, Brown emphasized manufacturing, organized labor, domestic industry and economic policies intended to support working-class communities. Those themes remain central to his current campaign, particularly in Ohio’s industrial regions.
Husted, meanwhile, entered the Senate after Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to replace Vance in January 2025. Before joining Congress, he served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor, secretary of state and speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.
His campaign has emphasized his experience in state government, economic development and conservative policy, while presenting his relationship with Trump as an advantage for Ohio.
The president’s Youngstown appearance is intended to reinforce that message and increase enthusiasm among Republican voters who supported Trump in the presidential election but may be less inclined to participate in a midterm contest.
Youngstown and the surrounding Mahoning Valley carry particular political significance because the region has experienced substantial changes in party affiliation over recent presidential elections.
Once associated with strong Democratic support from industrial workers and organized labor, the area has increasingly supported Republican presidential candidates, including Trump.
Brown’s campaign is seeking to appeal to voters with longstanding connections to Democratic economic positions while competing in a state that has shifted toward Republicans at the presidential level.
The competing approaches make the Ohio race a significant test of whether the parties can attract working-class voters concerned about manufacturing, employment, wages and living expenses.
The president’s rally also takes place amid broader economic pressures affecting households and businesses, particularly elevated diesel prices and increased transportation costs associated with international energy disruptions.
Republican candidates have sought to emphasize Trump’s economic policies, tax measures and domestic production initiatives. Democrats have focused on affordability and the financial consequences of administration decisions, arguing that many households have not experienced the improvements promised by the White House.
Those issues have become increasingly prominent as the campaign enters its final weeks.
Trump’s Ohio visit also provides an opportunity to support other Republican candidates, including gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, who is seeking to succeed DeWine.
Although the Senate contest remains the principal focus of the visit, the president’s appearance is expected to benefit the broader Republican ticket by drawing attention to statewide races and encouraging voters to participate in November.
Following the Ohio rally, Trump is scheduled to travel to Alaska on Tuesday to campaign for Sullivan, a two-term Republican senator facing former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.
The Alaska race has attracted substantial national attention because Peltola previously demonstrated an ability to win elections in a state that generally favors Republicans at the presidential level.
Peltola served in the U.S. House after winning a special election in 2022 following the death of longtime Republican Rep. Don Young. She subsequently won a full House term before losing her reelection bid in 2024.
Her Senate campaign has emphasized Alaska-specific priorities, including fisheries, energy development, economic affordability and federal policies affecting rural communities.
Sullivan, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014, has highlighted his experience in national security, defense policy and matters involving Alaska’s energy and natural resource industries.
The incumbent has argued that continued Republican representation would help advance policies supporting domestic energy production, military investment and economic development in the state.
Recent surveys have nevertheless indicated a closely contested election.
The RealClearPolling compilation of surveys in Alaska’s Senate race has shown Peltola with a narrow advantage in recent polling, underscoring the competitive nature of the contest despite Trump’s victory in Alaska in 2024.
Polling margins remain subject to sampling uncertainty, and individual surveys have produced different results. The available data demonstrate a competitive race rather than establishing how Alaskans will vote in November.
The state’s political characteristics also make turnout particularly important. Alaska has a relatively small population spread across a vast geographic area, with substantial differences between urban communities, rural regions and areas accessible primarily by air or water.
Campaigns must therefore account for logistical challenges that are less pronounced in many other states, including the cost of reaching voters in remote communities.
Alaska’s voting system also differs from conventional partisan elections. The state uses an open primary system followed by ranked-choice voting in general elections, allowing voters to rank candidates by preference.
That arrangement can affect campaign strategies, particularly when candidates seek support from independents and voters whose preferred candidates may not receive the largest number of first-choice votes.
Trump’s visit is intended to strengthen Republican participation while reinforcing Sullivan’s association with the administration’s economic and energy agenda.
The president has repeatedly emphasized Alaska’s role in American energy production, including oil and natural gas development, pipeline infrastructure and access to federal lands.
Those issues are especially important to the state’s economy, which relies heavily on natural resource industries and government activity.
Last week, Vice President JD Vance also traveled to Alaska to campaign for Sullivan, demonstrating the administration’s attention to the race.
The visit coincided with a federal announcement involving approximately $150 million in funding for electrical transmission infrastructure intended to improve energy reliability for Alaska residents.
The planned federal investment in Alaska’s power grid includes construction of roughly 223 miles of transmission lines connecting the Beluga power station with Healy, a project designed to strengthen electricity connections across populated portions of the state.
The infrastructure announcement highlighted the administration’s emphasis on energy development and affordability, both of which have become major issues in Sullivan’s contest with Peltola.
The candidates differ on aspects of federal energy policy, including the appropriate balance between conventional oil and gas development, renewable energy incentives and environmental protections.
Sullivan supports expanding domestic oil and gas production and reducing regulatory restrictions that he argues hinder development. Peltola has also supported responsible resource development while advocating policies intended to protect Alaska’s fisheries, communities and natural environment.
Their campaigns have consequently focused on both national political issues and concerns specific to Alaska residents.
Trump’s later appearances in Montana and Arizona will broaden the campaign swing beyond the two closely contested incumbent Senate races.
In Montana, Republicans are seeking to retain the Senate seat held by Steve Daines, who announced in March that he would not seek another term. Republican Kurt Alme, a former state budget director, is competing against Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead, independent candidate Seth Bodnar and Libertarian Kyle Austin.
The contest has developed into an unusual four-candidate election, with divisions among Democrats over whether the party should support its official nominee or consolidate behind Bodnar, a former Army Green Beret and University of Montana president.
Bankhead, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, won the Democratic primary in June but has faced pressure from some prominent party figures to withdraw. Former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester has endorsed Bodnar, reflecting the disagreement over how best to challenge Republicans in a state Trump carried comfortably in 2024.
Bankhead has refused to leave the contest, maintaining that Democratic primary voters selected her as their nominee and that she intends to remain on the ballot.
The Washington Post’s examination of Montana’s Senate contest described disagreements within the state’s Democratic Party over the competing candidacies and the implications for Republican nominee Alme.
A September Rutgers-Eagleton survey placed Alme at 38%, Bodnar at 30%, Bankhead at 16% and Austin at 5%. The figures illustrate how support has been divided among the candidates, although the results remain subject to the poll’s margin of error and other sampling limitations.
Trump’s appearance in Montana will also support Republicans competing for House seats, including Aaron Flint, the GOP nominee seeking to replace retiring Rep. Ryan Zinke in the state’s 1st Congressional District.
Flint is facing Democrat Sam Forstag in the open-seat contest. The president’s visit is intended to highlight Republican candidates across the ballot while encouraging participation among voters who supported him in the presidential election.
Arizona presents a different electoral landscape because the state does not have a regularly scheduled U.S. Senate election this year.
Instead, Republicans are focused on several competitive House races and the governor’s contest between Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs and Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, a member of the House Freedom Caucus who has Trump’s endorsement.
The president’s Arizona appearance was tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Laughlin-Bullhead International Airport in Bullhead City, near the Nevada border.
The reported preparations for Trump’s Arizona and Montana appearances indicate that Republican officials are using presidential campaign events to draw attention to both federal and statewide contests.
Arizona’s governor’s race is especially important to the parties because Hobbs is seeking reelection in a state Trump carried in 2024. Biggs has emphasized conservative positions on border security, federal spending and immigration, while Hobbs has focused on affordability, public education and her record in state government.
Republicans are also defending House districts where national political conditions have created more competitive contests.
The broader campaign schedule underscores the administration’s effort to translate Trump’s personal political support into participation in congressional and state elections.
Trump acknowledged the importance of campaigning in states that supported him during his previous presidential campaigns while also recognizing the competitive nature of several Republican-held seats.
“I want to give some recognition to places that have just backed me automatically, like Tennessee, and I’ll be going to Ohio, which backed me, but we have very close races,” Trump told reporters Saturday following an appearance in Clarksville, Tennessee.
The president has urged supporters to treat the midterms as a direct referendum on his leadership, even though his name will not appear on the ballot.
At recent campaign appearances, Trump has encouraged voters to “pretend I’m on the ballot,” attempting to connect Republican congressional candidates to his administration’s priorities and the political movement that brought him back to the White House.
That strategy reflects one of the central challenges facing Republicans in the election: motivating voters who participate in presidential contests but are less consistent in congressional midterms.
White House officials have said Trump’s appearances are designed to encourage those supporters to vote and to provide Republican candidates with additional visibility during the closing weeks of the campaign.
One administration official told Reuters that presidential involvement could be particularly important among voters whose loyalty to Trump exceeds their personal attachment to individual candidates.
“Some of them may not show up for a candidate unless Trump gives them a reason,” the official said.
The president’s travel schedule has intensified considerably as Election Day approaches. By the end of the current week, Trump is expected to have campaigned in 11 states over a two-week period, including multiple stops in Texas and Ohio.
His visits have largely emphasized states where he previously demonstrated substantial political support rather than concentrating exclusively on districts or states with closely divided presidential electorates.
Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said the itinerary appears structured around locations where the president can attract enthusiastic supporters while assisting candidates who are seeking additional attention.
“His staff is putting him in places where he’s likely to be able to draw a friendly crowd to the rally,” Sabato told Reuters. “And these candidates he’s campaigning for might well win.”
The strategy also has potential complications.
Trump remains popular among Republican voters, but polling indicates that his standing among the broader electorate has weakened during his second term. Concerns about consumer prices, the war involving Iran and other administration policies have contributed to political dissatisfaction.
Democrats have sought to make those issues central to their campaigns, arguing that Republican control of Washington has not delivered the economic improvements many voters expected.
Republican candidates, meanwhile, have defended the administration’s policies on taxes, energy production, immigration and federal regulation while attempting to focus attention on their own records and priorities.
The competing messages have become particularly important in states such as Ohio and Alaska, where voters may support Trump in presidential elections while remaining open to Democratic candidates in other contests.
Presidential appearances can also attract opposition demonstrations, providing another indication of the political divisions surrounding the midterms.
During a recent Trump rally in Vandalia, Ohio, Democratic voter Marilyn Makiewicz, 59, participated in a protest outside the venue.
“This is my very first protest,” Makiewicz told Reuters. “I think he is doing these rallies because he’s worried about the election.”
The contrasting responses illustrate how Trump’s involvement has become a central feature of the campaign, drawing both supporters and opponents into the final weeks of political activity.
The Republican Party enters the election with a 53-47 Senate majority, including the independents who caucus with Democrats. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to secure a majority, assuming there are no changes in party alignment.
The national Senate battleground landscape includes Republican-held seats in Ohio, Alaska, North Carolina, Maine, Iowa and other states, alongside Democratic-held seats Republicans are seeking to contest.
Control of the Senate will determine which party leads its committees and exercises substantial influence over presidential appointments, federal judicial nominations and legislative priorities.
The House majority is also at stake, with Republicans defending numerous competitive districts and Democrats campaigning to reclaim control of the chamber.
Republican organizations have assembled substantial financial resources for the midterms, including major contributions from wealthy donors and independent political organizations. Those funds are supporting advertising, voter outreach and campaign operations across the country.
Financial resources alone, however, do not determine voter participation or election outcomes. Candidates must also contend with local political conditions, public attitudes toward national leadership and the issues influencing individual communities.
The latest presidential campaign swing reflects those competing considerations.
In Ohio, Trump is attempting to reinforce Husted’s connection to Republican voters while Brown campaigns on his previous Senate record and economic priorities.
In Alaska, Sullivan is emphasizing national security and energy development as Peltola draws on her congressional experience and appeal to voters across party lines.
Montana’s multi-candidate Senate contest presents a different dynamic, while Arizona’s competitive gubernatorial and House elections offer additional opportunities for the president to support Republican nominees.
The remaining campaign period will include further political appearances, advertising and voter mobilization efforts as both parties prepare for the Nov. 3 election.
For Trump, the immediate objective is to encourage the Republican voters who supported him in 2024 to participate in a midterm election where his administration’s policies are under scrutiny.
For the candidates appearing alongside him, the challenge is to convert that presidential attention into support for their individual campaigns.
With fewer than four weeks remaining before Election Day, the Ohio and Alaska races illustrate why Republicans are devoting presidential attention to states that previously delivered comfortable victories for Trump. The outcome of those contests, together with other Senate and House elections, will determine the balance of power in Congress for the remainder of his presidency.
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