COLUMBUS, Ohio — Inflation, guns and abortion are shaping midterms races everywhere. But in Ohio, a more niche concern — Congress’ stalled China competition bill and its $52 billion for the domestic semiconductor industry — has grabbed candidates’ attention even as voters are still figuring out why they should care.
Why it matters: Senate rivals Rep. Tim Ryan (D) and J.D. Vance (R), as well as GOP Gov. Mike DeWine and Democratic challenger Nan Whaley, all know that the fate of the CHIPS Act could impact thousands of jobs and carry long-term economic implications for the state.
The big picture: Intel has pledged to spur a “Silicon Heartland” starting with a $20 billion project creating semiconductor fabricating plants in Licking County on the outskirts of Columbus.
- That could create 3,000 full-time jobs there, plus ripple effects for hundreds of suppliers across the state and investment and partnerships with universities.
- Passing the CHIPS Act could speed and maximize the project’s scope. But if the bill doesn’t pass, there are concerns it could slow or diminish Intel’s commitment and shift money and jobs overseas.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has threatened to sink the CHIPS Act if Democrats push ahead on a climate, energy and tax deal without GOP support.
- Rather than back down, Democrats hope to pull together votes to bypass McConnell and get the semiconductor funds without sacrificing other priorities.
- With the bill stalled, Intel has scrapped a groundbreaking ceremony set for this month. Spokesperson Nancy Sanchez told Axios that “while the ceremony is delayed, our construction plans have not changed” — but the scope and pace will depend on the legislation.
Zoom in: In Licking County, where Donald Trump received 63% of the vote in the 2020 presidential race, stretches of cornfields, small farms and rural homes dot the area where Intel will begin to build. Local governments have started hiring planning and development directors to prepare.
- Jamie Karl, communications director for the Ohio Manufacturing Association, said the impact goes beyond central Ohio. “We have 1,500 members all across the state … from mom and pop shops to Whirlpool and Honda — and nearly all of them are being affected by the chip shortage.”
- “There’s a hundred suppliers in the state of Ohio that are going to supply Intel,” Ryan told Axios. “If you land a monster like Intel, that is the beginning of a cluster of economic development.”
What we’re hearing: In conversations around the state last week, only some voters told Axios they were familiar with the CHIPS Act controversy — and none called it key to deciding their vote.
- Those familiar with Intel’s plans know they are massive. But there was a common refrain of “where’s our Intel plant?” — revealing a sentiment that resources regularly flow to the Columbus area while other parts of the state are left behind.
- At a tavern in East Dayton, Tommy Boyd, 66, an electrician who supports Donald Trump, and Rob Jones, 56, a funeral director and lifelong Democrat, debated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and whether Gov. DeWine had handled the issue well. Semiconductors were not on their minds.
- One Republican retiree who attended a Ryan event in Cincinnati told Axios he may split his votes — DeWine for governor but Ryan for Senate — because it bothered him that Vance went from Trump critic to courting Trump when it was expedient. Semiconductors aren’t part of that voter’s calculus.
- “I don’t know what all is going to happen” with the Intel plant, Edward Coil, 56, a machinist at Flex Machine Tools in Wapakoneta, told Axios. “But I think Trump is going to be back.”
Donald Trump isn’t on the November ballot. But as Vance and Ryan vie for the claim of champion for Ohio’s working…
Read More: Fate of stalled semiconductor bill at center of Ohio Senate race