A contender in the Democratic Party's presidential primary will visit Greater Cincinnati today as he campaigns around Ohio.
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas will visit striking UAW workers outside of an area General Motors plant while he's in West Chester and he will also meet with activists and community leaders working on addressing gun violence, economic issues and other big topics in the region, his campaign says.
So far, O'Rourke has had a difficult time distinguishing himself in the crowded Democratic primary field, generally polling in the single-digits behind frontrunners like former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Recently, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll had O'Rourke behind eight other Democratic primary contenders at just 1 percent. O'Rourke's critics have said that his policy proposals are vague and that he hasn't done enough to stand out in a field of top-tier candidates.
Despite the headwinds, however, O'Rourke has continued to express commitment to his presidential bid, especially following the tragic mass shooting by a white supremacist in his hometown of El Paso last month.
It's not O'Rourke's first foray into the Buckeye State, widely considered to be a pivotal battleground in the 2020 election. O'Rourke visited Cleveland back in March. He'll circle around to Dayton and Columbus today and Kent State University tomorrow on this trip.
Other candidates, including Warren, Sanders and Biden, have also visited Ohio as they look to grab the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
