Ohio could decide control of the Senate. Its rural voters might decide the winner

Control of the U.S. Senate could hinge on Ohio, where toss-up contests for Senate and governor give Democrats a shot at a statewide win in a state that has recently leaned Republican. To get there, Democrats would need to peel off rural voters, who favored Donald Trump by 40 points in 2024 but whose approval of him has reportedly dropped sharply amid inflation, tariffs and the war in Iran. Republican Sen. Jon Husted and former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown are both courting small-town and farm communities, according to NPR.

NPR spoke with residents at a farmers market in Athens. Vegetable farmer Larry Cowdery of Long Bottom said self-employed people like him face steeply rising insurance costs; premiums on the Affordable Care Act marketplace are expected to climb roughly 15% in Ohio, and enrollment fell nearly 33% last year after federal subsidies lapsed. He also fears fertilizer shortages tied to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, and he distrusts Husted. Dean Ferrell, 62, an independent struggling with grocery and utility bills, leans toward Husted because he objects to the Democratic Party's direction. In Shelby County, first-generation farmer Chris Gibbs says fuel and fertilizer prices and tariffs have pushed production costs above profits.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at NPR →