With the special election race for Ohio’s 12th congressional district between Republican Troy Balderson and Democrat Danny O’Connor in a virtual tie, Donald Trump spent a portion of his central Ohio rally on Saturday urging voters to show their support for Balderson at the polls this Tuesday. “He's really tough. He's really smart,” Trump said of Balderson, per CNN. “He never stops working." Of course, a Trump co-sign has turned out to be more of a kiss of death than anything else. In the past, The Donald has stumped for Rick Saccone, Luther Strange, and Roy Moore, all of whom have lost in their respective races.
A Monmouth University poll released earlier this week showed that Balderson is receiving 44 percent support with O’Connor just behind at 43 percent with 11 percent claiming to be undecided. Just a little over a month ago, Balderson was holding a 10-point lead, indicating that O’Connor has surprisingly picked up considerable ground in a district that Trump won by 11 percent in the 2016 presidential election.
The latest poll could be a sign of wavering support among Trump voters. His approval rating in the district sits at 46 percent with 49 percent disapproving of his performance thus far.
Unlike Trump, who has attempted to appeal to voters by raising concerns about party affiliations, O’Connor has run his campaign on a platform that is more in line with the interests of the people of Ohio.
Instead of wasting his time addressing reports related to Pelosi, O’Connor is focused on matters like social security and healthcare. It’s a game plan that his fellow Democrats could should replicate leading up to midterms this November.
