2020 election

The location, timing and message of this Trump rally could be a preview of his re-election strategy.

Two of the Democrats running for president have not been successful in their attempts to have their names certified to be listed on the March 17 Ohio primary ballot. One of the two has been certified to be a write-in candidate though. 

The 2020 presidential election could end up being a critical one not just to the winner and his or her supporters, but also to Ohio. Buckeye State voters have picked the winning candidate in each presidential contest since 1960 – and no Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio. 

Democrats are looking to 2020 with optimism. Party leaders say they are seeing signs that areas of Ohio that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 and Republican statewide leaders in 2018 are ready to vote for Democrats in 2020. And they say they have a plan to make that happen.

Ohio is expected to play a vital role in President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign, no Republican has ever won a race for the White House without carrying the state, and supporters say they plan to win in Ohio again with a common talking point, the economy.

When political candidates come to a town, they attract a lot of attention. People who sell shirts and other items set up shop to sell their wares. A professor from Washington D.C. is in Westerville today, carrying a sign to advertise her product – a musical about the 2020 election. 

Some of the biggest races on the ballot next year could be for the Ohio Supreme Court. Two seats now held by Republican justices will be open. A prominent Democrat who has held statewide office says she wants one of them. 

Gov. John Kasich still has almost two more months on the job, but he’s apparently starting to wind down his work and consider his legacy. And while he still isn't saying if he's running for president, he may be starting to forecast what he’s planning on doing next in talking about issues beyond Ohio.

One of the three Democrats who won statewide in Ohio last week, U. S. Senator Sherrod Brown, says he’s thinking about his next step - maybe running for president.  

While Democrats saw big wins in other Midwest states, they were shut out of their statewide executive races in Ohio. Strategists say Ohio is one step closer to losing its swing state status.