Trump Endorses Jim Renacci for Ohio State Senator Via Twitter

With the rural makeup surrounding heavily populated major cities, Ohio has always been a highly sought after state for national elections. After Obama’s electoral win by 3 percentage points in 2012, Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 8 points in 2016.

As it stands, State Senator Sherrod Brown is currently the only democrat holding a statewide elected position. However, this may change with the fall election as Sherrod Brown faces a yet-to-be-determined republican challenger. Today, President Trump took to Twitter (because where else would he deliver important messages?) to give his endorsement to republican primary candidate Jim Renacci.

Renacci, Ohio’s 16th congressional district representative, jumped into the race earlier this year after front-runner Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel, dropped out citing his wife’s health. Renacci had previously looked towards the gubernatorial position but dropped out of the race to pursue the Senate seat.

A Republican win would solidify a red stranglehold on a state with an increasing dislike for the current commander in chief. A blue win would allow Democrats to remain competitive in Ohio, and potentially change the direction of Ohio’s electoral power in 2020.

Whether Renacci takes the Republican primary nomination or Cleveland businessman Mike Gibbons, the battle for the Senate seat will likely foreshadow results of the 2020 election. Democrats are set to defend seats in 10 states that Trump won, with the swing-state of Ohio one of the utmost interest.

This article appears in Apr 18-24, 2018.