https://www.theepochtimes.com/ohio-county-portends-political-shift-ahead-of-2022-midterms_4276894.htmlOhio County Portends Political Shift Ahead of 2022 MidtermsBy Michael Sakal
February 22, 2022
NOTE: When reading articles from The Epoch Times, DISABLE javascript in your browser. This can be done with the click of the mouse using free extensions/add-ons.When rock’n’roll star Bruce Springsteen belted out the phrase “Down in Youngstown” in one of his hit songs nearly 30 years ago, it referred to the struggles of Americans in a steel-mill town in northeast Ohio’s Mahoning County.
The 1995 song title was “Youngstown,” and it pointed to the importance of the industrial anchor for the city’s economic success and national security. The decline resulted in a depressed region for decades, following the collapse of the American steel industry, the diminished blue-collar worker, and the fading American Dream.
The lyrics still ring true in Youngstown today. That’s because not much has changed there since the song was written, or even since the late 1970s, when after the loss of tens of thousands of jobs there was an exodus of families from the area.
Today, locals express a mixture of despair, faith, and hope. They don’t mince words when asked for their views on the issues that have been brewing for decades.
As the 2022 midterm elections in Ohio on May 3 draw closer, Democrats are formulating a message amid inflation, high gas prices, chain supply issues, workforce shortages, and chaos at the southern border. These are issues that mostly came about in 2021, causing many to believe the Democrats are facing an uphill battle in maintaining control of the House and Senate.
The U.S. Senate seat that belongs to Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is up for grabs as he will not be seeking re-election.
There are seven Republicans running for Portman’s seat in the primaries: Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Josh Mandel, Neil Patel, Mark Pukita, Jane Timken, and J.D. Vance.
The Democrats on the ticket vying for Portman’s seat are: Morgan Harper, Traci Johnson, and Tim Ryan, who has been serving in Congress for the last 2o years, or 10 consecutive terms.
The top post in Ohio also is in play.
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