More than a thousand chairs were lined up in long neat rows, in a Girard, Ohio ballroom Friday. Organizers had laid out placards reading “Unite & Win” on each one, alternating in navy blue and red. A disco ball hung above the lectern.
People began lining up early Friday afternoon outside the Metroplex Expo Center eager to see Republican U.S. Senate nominee J.D. Vance and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A man marched up and down the line waving a massive flag reading “Trump Won,” which, while true in 2016, was not true in 2020 when Donald Trump lost the U.S. Presidential election.
The Florida governor’s Mahoning Valley visit was the last leg of a three-state tour backing conservative U.S. Senate candidates, and perhaps, the groundwork for return trips in 2024.
Bumpy road
The rally made news well ahead of Friday. Turning Point Action, the conservative youth group organizing the event, initially said Youngstown’s Maronite Center would host. The facility operator shot that down shortly afterward — it was already booked for an annual church festival.
And so the Metroplex, with bathrooms tiled in a 1980’s mix of grey, mauve, and plum, and half the building now serving as a self-storage facility, was pressed into service.
Turning Point also raised eyebrows with an unusual set of demands for the press. According to a media policy, the organization “reserved the right” to demand footage for future “archival and promotional purposes,” and threatened to limit reporters from speaking to all but pre-selected attendees. Numerous outlets that would ordinarily cover such events passed. Chris Quinn, editor of Cleveland.com wrote a scathing letter explaining their rejection of the event.
Ahead of the event, right in Democratic nominee Tim Ryan’s backyard, he sent out a cheeky “itinerary” for Vance and DeSantis’ visit.
“I know you’re both new to Ohio,” Ryan began, before listing off a series of stops that highlight local restaurants and the region’s emerging electric vehicle and green energy manufacturing sector.
“As someone who was born, raised, and still lives in the Mahoning Valley,” Ryan said, “I hope my expertise can help you learn a little bit more about our world-class businesses, booming new Voltage Valley.”
In an emailed statement the Ohio Democratic Party said, “Ron DeSantis and J.D. Vance deserve each other — they both flipped on Trump on a dime and abandoned their states in order to promote themselves.”
With dangling light fixtures and a sprawling footprint, the ballroom ceilings seemed low, and only felt closer as the crowd filtered down the rows. A little after 7 o’clock they started a chant of “Let’s go Brandon.”
J.D. Vance
Friday’s rally was easily Vance’s most significant campaign appearance since winning the Republican U.S. Senate primary in May. While it’s typical for campaigns to gear down in the summer, Vance’s slow fundraising and continued absence on the campaign trail has rattled some in the GOP.
The extent of the party’s concern came into sharper focus Thursday. The Senate Leadership Fund, a campaign committee tied to Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, committed $28 million to get Vance elected. The announcement marks a major escalation in spending. Earlier in the week, other campaign committees with ties to national Republicans promised roughly $5 million.
Read More: Fear and grievance in the Mahoning Valley