President Trump left the White House Thursday to begin a monthlong midterm campaign tour, and his first stops are raising eyebrows. The opening day took him to a Peterbilt truck factory in Denton, Texas, followed by a Thursday night rally in Durant, Oklahoma. Friday’s schedule puts him in Mobile, Alabama, with Ohio, Iowa and Alaska expected later in the month. All of it is aimed at boosting Republican candidates ahead of the November elections.
The curious part is the map. Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama are states Republicans typically win comfortably, not the swing districts that usually decide control of Congress. The RNC’s Zach Kraft says the stops let Trump speak directly to voters in states with critical races, pointing to one Senate seat and three House seats in Texas that the Cook Political Report rates as toss-ups. Texas State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, a Democrat, says she finds it notable that Trump keeps appearing in red states, Texas in particular.
So which is it, smart base turnout or a party protecting its own turf? Both sides will keep arguing that question until Election Day. For Suncoast voters, the bigger takeaway is that campaign season is fully underway, and the down-ballot races closer to home deserve just as much attention as the national headlines. What race are you watching most closely this fall?
