WASHINGTON: Vice President JD Vance returned to his home state of Ohio on the eve of the midterm elections to rally for Indian American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, as a final New York Times/Siena poll showed Ramaswamy trailing Democrat Amy Acton by six points in the governor's race.
The poll of likely voters, released by the Siena Research Institute, put Acton at 49 per cent and Ramaswamy at 43 per cent. In the US Senate special election, Democrat Sherrod Brown led Republican Senator Jon Husted 49 per cent to 44 per cent. The margin of error in Ohio was 4.4 points.
"In the much-watched race in Ohio, Acton leads Ramaswamy by six points," said Don Levy, the institute's executive director.
The previous Times/Siena Ohio poll, taken from September 22 to October 1, had Acton ahead 49 per cent to 45 per cent, suggesting Ramaswamy lost ground in the final month.
Vance headlined a rally at a hangar at Toledo Express Airport in Swanton on Monday, with Ramaswamy and Husted on the bill.
"I was raised by a union steel worker right here in Ohio by a man who voted for Democrats his entire life, but the Democrats today look nothing like they did a few decades ago," Vance said in a video clip he posted on X. "They're more extreme, they're weak on crime and the southern border, they're more socialist, and they're flat-out wrong for Ohio."
"If you want elected leaders who fight for workers, support lower taxes, and stand up for common sense values then get out and vote for @VivekGRamaswamy and @JonHusted at the ballot box tomorrow," Vance added in the post.
The Republicans account on X posted a clip of Ramaswamy telling the crowd: "I will never quit on this state, I will always fight for you in this state, we're gonna fight for you to have a better life, fight for you to have lower costs, fight for you to have bigger paychecks, fight for you to have safer streets."
Ramaswamy later took his final pitch to Cleveland. "We're going to slash your property taxes, slash your electric bills, and crush crime regardless of your party or who you vote for," he posted.
He also targeted Acton over a weekend clash between crowds and police in Cincinnati. "Amy Acton has compared our law enforcement officers to the KKK & this is just a preview of what's coming to all of Ohio if she's elected," he wrote.