Former President Barack Obama is returning to the campaign trail.
He will be in Ohio joining Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton for an October 24 rally in Cleveland as both parties intensify their efforts before the November 3 midterm elections.
The appearance will mark Obama’s first campaign visit to Ohio since 2018, when he traveled to Cleveland to support Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray and other party candidates.
Obama’s return underscores the national attention surrounding Ohio, where Democrats are attempting to win two major statewide contests in a state President Donald Trump carried by more than 11 percentage points in 2024.
Brown is seeking a return to the Senate after losing his seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024 and is challenging Republican Senator Jon Husted in this year’s special election.
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Husted was appointed to the Senate in January 2025 after JD Vance resigned his seat to become vice president, setting up a special election for the remainder of Vance’s term.
Brown, a three-term former senator, has emphasized his longstanding focus on organized labor, manufacturing and economic populism as he attempts to rebuild the coalition that previously kept him competitive in increasingly Republican Ohio.
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Obama endorsed Brown in a campaign video released earlier this year, praising the former senator and emphasizing the national implications of the contest.
“This race is going to be close,” Obama said in the endorsement, adding that the outcome could help determine which party controls the Senate.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, making Ohio one of several closely watched states as Democrats attempt to gain seats in November.
Recent polling illustrates why both parties are investing heavily in the contest, although surveys differ substantially depending on methodology and timing.
A CNN/SSRS survey conducted through October 5 showed Brown at 49 percent and Husted at 43 percent among likely voters, while a Republican-affiliated co/efficient survey conducted October 5 and 6 showed Husted narrowly ahead, 44 percent to 43 percent.
Acton, meanwhile, is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to succeed term-limited Governor Mike DeWine.
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The former Ohio Department of Health director became nationally prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Ramaswamy built his political profile through his 2024 presidential campaign and subsequent support for Trump.
Polling in that race has likewise varied, with CNN/SSRS showing Acton ahead 50 percent to 42 percent while the co/efficient survey showed Ramaswamy leading 45 percent to 43 percent.
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Obama’s Cleveland event comes after Trump and Vice President JD Vance made multiple recent Ohio appearances supporting Republican candidates, demonstrating the importance both parties are placing on turnout.
Trump has campaigned for Husted as Republicans seek to mobilize the political coalition that helped the president comfortably carry Ohio in three consecutive presidential elections.
Husted said after recent campaign travel that he could feel the political environment changing as Election Day approached and expressed confidence about Republican enthusiasm.
Obama will be attempting to generate similar energy among Democrats, particularly in Cleveland and northeast Ohio, historically important areas for the party’s statewide candidates.
The former president won Ohio twice, defeating Republican John McCain there in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012 before the state shifted decisively toward Republicans during the Trump era.
Trump won Ohio in 2016, 2020 and 2024, with his margin expanding considerably during the most recent presidential election.
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That political transformation makes Obama’s return noteworthy because Democrats are trying to demonstrate that their statewide candidates can still compete despite Ohio’s recent Republican voting record.
The Cleveland rally is part of a broader Obama campaign push that will also take him to Michigan on October 24 to support Democratic socialist Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson.
Obama has increasingly appeared in advertisements and endorsement videos for Democratic candidates as the party attempts to maximize turnout during the closing weeks.
Early voting is already underway in Ohio, adding urgency to campaign appearances because thousands of voters will have cast ballots before Obama arrives in Cleveland.
More than 170,000 Ohio voters had already cast ballots by late last week, according to figures cited by the Statehouse News Bureau.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
