Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to return to his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, on Friday to campaign for Republican candidates at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility, a site where his grandfather once worked. The plant was known as Armco Steel during his grandfather James Vance's nearly 40-year tenure.
Vance has frequently emphasized his Rust Belt origins as he seeks to support GOP candidates in the upcoming November midterm elections and promote the Trump administration's economic policies aimed at expanding U.S. manufacturing. This visit to Middletown is part of an anticipated increase in his travel schedule, including more public events and fundraisers, according to a person familiar with the plans.
During a radio interview on Thursday, Vance described the upcoming visit as "personally very meaningful" due to his family's connection to the steel plant. He stated that it presents "an amazing opportunity for me to go talk about, frankly, plants like this wouldn’t exist were it not for some of the Trump administration’s economic policies."
Vance will be accompanied by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The itinerary also includes stops at several Cincinnati chili restaurants.
Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," characterized the steel plant as a crucial economic force for his family, enabling his grandparents to transition from rural Kentucky to the middle class. He recalled his grandfather's pride in seeing vehicles made with steel from his company.
Vance, whose mother and sister still reside in Middletown, won approximately 62% of the vote in the city's precincts during the 2024 election. His family also maintains a home in Cincinnati, where they occasionally spend weekends. This marks his first public appearance since the birth of his fourth child in July.
As part of his broader travel plans, Vance's office announced a trip to Brewer, Maine, for Monday, where he is expected to campaign in a competitive House district race.