Ohio Is Key Battleground State This Fall, DNC Chair Says

Ohio didn’t experience the “blue wave” many other states saw in 2018. And with President Donald Trump winning Ohio by eight points in 2016, some pundits say Ohio is no longer a swing state.

But the head of the Democratic National Committee said the Buckeye State is important this year. 

Ohio remains a key battleground state, said DNC Chairman Tom Perez, noting how Ohio’s Democratic senator performed in his re-election two years ago. 

“I think Ohio is absolutely winnable. It’s dead-heat territory right now and we are competing. I think about people like [Senator] Sherrod Brown, who has been so successful and I think Joe Biden has a very similar profile and pathway as Sherrod Brown in Ohio," Perez said.

The DNC is encouraging everyone to vote early, Pere said, either in person or by mail.

"I think the most important thing every voter can do is to make a plan and make it early," Perez said.

Casting ballots early gives voters time to rectify the situation if there’s a mistake or the ballot doesn’t arrive, he said.

Ohioans can request mail-in ballots now. Ballots will be mailed out in early October.

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