President Trump’s support for GOP candidate Troy Balderson was the “deciding factor” in Balderson’s apparent victory Tuesday against Democrat Danny O’Connor in a special election for Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, the president’s re-election campaign claimed.
“Clearly, the President’s support was pivotal in GOP primaries yesterday,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement Wednesday. “Also, there is no doubt that Donald Trump was the deciding factor in the election of a great candidate, Troy Balderson.”
[More: Trump credits his Ohio rally with turnaround for Troy Balderson]
The Trump-backed Balderson narrowly led O’Connor in the vote count Tuesday night. Pending absentee and provisional ballots, he captured about 2,000 more votes than his Democratic opponent in a district Republicans have held for 35 years. Shortly after Balderson delivered his victory speech, Trump suggested in a tweet that his appearance in Ohio last weekend provided the struggling Republican candidate the momentum he needed.
“After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better,” Trump said. “Now Troy wins a great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting. He will win BIG in [November].”
Parscale said the president is planning an aggressive campaign schedule in the final months before the midterms to help “turn out voters to protect and expand our GOP majorities in the House and Senate this fall.” Trump is expected to return to Washington from his working vacation in Bedminster, N.J., next week, and has reportedly expressed an interest in holding six to seven campaign-style rallies each week in the final two months before the November elections.
“President Trump is delivering the right kind of leadership, results, and inspiration to unify our party at just the right time to keep America winning,” Parscale added.
