SWANTON, Ohio — With control of Congress at stake in the midterm elections, Vice President JD Vance returned to the campaign trail Monday, appearing before voters in New York and Ohio.
Republican strategists are watching his campaign schedule closely, in part because it may offer clues about how he could approach a possible 2028 presidential bid. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said Vance has visited nearly 50 competitive districts or states this election cycle, describing him as a tireless campaigner who has kept up an unusually demanding schedule.
Since the Republican midterm convention in early September, Vance has held 19 rallies, after making dozens of campaign stops around the country before the convention in Dallas.
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the campaign work is adding to Vance’s political credentials. He also pointed to Vance’s fundraising network and his job as finance chair of the Republican National Committee, calling those potential strengths in a future presidential campaign. Spicer said he believes Vance is the first vice president to hold that party role.
Vance has repeatedly said he is concentrating on his current responsibilities and has avoided discussing a possible run for president. Still, he is favored in several prediction markets. President Donald Trump said in late October that it was too soon to focus on 2028 and that Republicans first needed to get through the midterms.
Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said Vance has taken on a wide range of major responsibilities, including leading an anti-fraud task force and helping negotiate a Middle East peace agreement. Priebus contrasted that workload with former Vice President Kamala Harris’ assignment to address border security, which he described as a failure, and called Vance a capable manager of difficult issues.
Priebus said Democrats appear to have an advantage in the House, while the Senate contest remains extremely close. He added that modern elections tend to bring smaller shifts between parties than the sweeping “waves” seen in the past. With only a limited number of House districts competitive, he said, relatively few votes could decide many of them.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Vance is increasingly being seen as a campaigner in his own right, rather than only as someone associated with Trump’s political legacy. Meadows noted that many of Vance’s most energetic campaign appearances have taken place outside early presidential primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Rep. Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican who campaigned with Vance in his state, said the vice president drew enthusiastic crowds. Gill contrasted that response with what he said Harris would have faced on the campaign trail.
Vance held rallies in Rome, New York, and Swanton, Ohio, on Monday, urging support for Republican congressional candidates and calling on the party to keep its majorities. In New York, he encouraged voters to bring friends, neighbors and family members to the polls, saying the election should show that the country belongs to people who love it.
