Trump to hold rally in Ohio

Former President Trump will rally supporters in Ohio later this month amid the state’s chaotic race for the Republican nomination to replace the retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio). 

The rally is set to take place on April 23 in the town of Delaware, near Columbus, according to an announcement from his leadership PAC Save America. 

Exactly who will join Trump at the rally hasn’t yet been announced, though the event could set the stage for the former president’s intervention in Ohio’s hotly contested GOP Senate primary.

Several Republicans are vying for the nomination to succeed Portman, including author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, businessman Mike Gibbons, former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken. 

The GOP field has competed viciously for Trump’s endorsement in the race, though the former president has yet to weigh in. 

Most polling in the primary shows a close race, with one Fox News survey released last month finding Gibbons with a 2-point lead over Mandel. Previously, a poll from The Hill and Emerson College showed Gibbons with a more substantial 7-point lead. 

Democrats, meanwhile, have largely coalesced around Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) as their Senate nominee. 

The Ohio Senate race is among a handful where Republicans are defending open seats this year following several high-profile retirements. While the state has trended red in recent years, Democrats believe that, between the chaotic GOP primary and Portman’s retirement, they have a chance to flip the seat blue.

Trump, who is also weighing another bid for the White House in 2024, has stepped up his travel schedule in recent weeks. Over the weekend, he appeared in North Carolina for a rally.