Vice President JD Vance hit the campaign trail in his native Ohio on Friday, using a midterm rally to rally voters behind Republican candidates and to argue that the Democratic Party has drifted too far left to govern effectively.
Addressing supporters in Lima, Vance painted the 2026 midterm elections as a pivotal moment for safeguarding the administration’s agenda, highlighting border‑security measures and domestic‑manufacturing initiatives.
“What we’ve done over the past couple of years is reverse some of the worst trends that existed in the United States for my entire lifetime,” Vance said, pointing to actions that tighten the border, deport unauthorized immigrants, and bring industrial jobs back to Midwestern towns.
Reflecting on his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, Vance recalled watching local factories close and asked why former leaders allowed American manufacturing jobs to slip overseas. He argued that today’s trade and economic policies reverse decades of industrial decline by rewarding domestic investment and penalizing foreign outsourcing.
During his speech, Vance lamented the breakdown of cooperation between the two major parties.
“I wish we had a Democratic Party we could work with,” he told the crowd. “I would love if I could sit across the table from a reasonable Democrat and talk about ways where we could compromise and fix the country’s problems together, but that’s not what we have.”
Vance charged Democrats with prioritizing cultural issues over the needs of working‑class Americans, citing disputes over sports eligibility rules, border enforcement, energy costs, and taxation.
He wrapped up by urging the audience to turn out for the Republican slate, which includes local congressional, Senate and gubernatorial candidates.
“We need to send a message that America belongs to those who love it, not those who hate it,” Vance declared. “And so long as the Democrats hate this country, they don’t get our vote, and they can stay the hell out of Washington.”
The Lima rally formed part of a wider series of stops aimed at boosting turnout in key battleground districts before voters head to the polls.
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