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FIRST ON FOX: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz will campaign with Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance before next week’s GOP primary – as Vance’s campaign surges following former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
“For too long, conservative voices have been silenced and weaponized by the mainstream media and liberal elites,” Gaetz, R-Fla., said in a statement. “J.D. Vance is the only candidate not afraid to stand up against the establishment and make the voices of everyday, working-class Ohioans heard in Washington. I look forward to joining J.D. in Ohio and helping to bring him to victory in this race.”
Republican Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance at the “Up from Chaos” conference hosted by the American Moment nonprofit and The American Conservative magazine. (Fox News)
FOX NEWS POLL: VANCE MOVES INTO TOP SPOT IN OHIO GOP SENATE PRIMARY
“J.D. is a true America First patriot who puts people over politicians and believes in taking action rather than just talking a big game on television,” Greene, R-Ga., said. She also said Vance is “the only President Trump-endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate in Ohio.”
Gaetz will appear with Vance at Saturday town halls in East Canton, Newark and West Chester in Ohio. Greene will join for the town halls in Newark and West Chester.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Former state treasurer Josh Mandel and investment banker Mike Gibbons were considered the top tier candidates in the Ohio GOP Senate primary for most of the race. But Trump’s endorsement this month rocketed Vance to the top of the pack. A Fox News poll released Tuesday had Vance at 23% compared to Mandel at 18% and Gibbons at 13%.
The contest still appears fluid. Vance’s five-point advantage is within the survey’s margin of sampling error – and the largest number of primary voters, 25%, remains undecided. Moreover, half of those currently supporting a candidate say they could change their mind.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene talks as President Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address at the Capitol on March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool, File)
But Vance told Fox News last week he believes Trump’s support is enough to seriously change the dynamic of the race.
“It’s hugely powerful. I think it’s the only endorsement in politics that actually moves votes, and it moves a lot of votes, especially here in Ohio,” Vance said.
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In addition to Vance, Gibbons and Mandel, former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken and Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan are considered major candidates in the race.
The primary election will he held Tuesday, May 3. The winner of the GOP primary is expected to face Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, in the general election.