JD Vance to return to Ohio hometown for first solo rally

(MIDDLETOWN, Ohio) — Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance is making a trip home for his first solo campaign rally on the GOP presidential ticket.

Vance will hold a solo rally on Monday afternoon in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.

Vance’s rally comes one week after he was announced as former President Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

The Ohio senator made his first official appearance at a campaign rally on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, alongside Trump.

Walking out to an enthusiastic crowd, Vance wasted no time in attacking his political opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, before going on to talk about his background, growing up in Ohio and his family struggles.

The Trump-Vance campaign has made it clear that they see the Ohio senator as crucial in their strategy to win the battleground states in the Midwest: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Vance has emphasized his background growing up in the Midwest and the Rust Belt with the hope of connecting with voters in these critical states.

Vance recalled his conversation with the former president when he offered him the opportunity to be his vice president, saying that Trump told him, “You can help me in some of these Midwestern states, like Pennsylvania, Michigan and so forth.”

During his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last week, Vance emphasized his background growing up in Middletown and living in the Rust Belt.

“I promise you one more thing, to the people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio and every corner of our nation: I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from,” Vance said Wednesday night.

Vance will now take center stage on Monday in the hometown that has played a crucial role in his upbringing and was the catalyst for much of what has happened to him, including being the backdrop of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” in which he shared his story of growing up in poverty in America’s Rust Belt and being surrounded by violence and addiction.