Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trump Headlining Republican State Dinner

President Donald Trump
Andy Chow
President Donald Trump

Ohio’s slate of Republican candidates on the November ballot is about to get what the party feels is a helping hand from President Donald Trump. The Ohio Republican Party announced Trump will be the headliner at this year’s state dinner, two weeks after campaigning in the 12th Congressional special election for Troy Balderson. 

The Ohio Republican Party’s annual state dinner is a major fundraiser for candidates as they head into the final stretch of their campaigns.

Republican party spokesperson Blaine Kelly says the dinner will give Trump a platform to stump for the Republican ticket, including Mike DeWine for governor and Jim Renacci for US Senate.

“It’s big, you know this is the 2018 midterm election, President Trump is wildly popular here in the Buckeye State, he’s gonna come in and create a lot of energy for our candidates," says Kelly.

The Ohio Democratic Party suggests this might be a tough spot for DeWine who has stayed fairly distant from Trump in the past.

In the past few years, headliners for the Ohio Republican Party included; Vice President Mike Pence; Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt; and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst. Kelly says this is the first time the President of the United States has addressed the Ohio Republican Party state dinner.

Copyright 2018 The Statehouse News Bureau

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.