Ohio could decide control of the Senate. Its rural voters might decide the winner
Ohio's rural voters are becoming a critical battleground in the upcoming Senate race between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown. While the state has trended Republican, Democrats are attempting to capitalize on rural dissatisfaction with inflation and foreign policy to flip key seats.
Why it matters
The outcome of the Ohio Senate race could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, making rural voter sentiment a decisive factor.
At the weekday farmers market in Athens, Ohio, colorful vegetables are on display for patrons to purchase, community members interact with each other and vendors and one another. It feels like most people in attendance know one another on some personal level.
For a small town like Athens, the farmers market is a gathering place.
"Our Saturday markets have been fully at capacity," said Paige Walters, the Athens farmers market promotions manager.
Athens, Ohio is home to Ohio University. The city is, like many college towns, pretty liberal. But that's not the case in most of the Appalachian communities in the region.
Walters noticed that this year, for the first time in a while, the Athens County Republican Party has set up a table at the market.
"I think that does speak to the political climate right now – that it's pretty competitive," she said.
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