Democrats Eye Ohio and Iowa as New Bellwethers for 2028
As the 2028 presidential election looms, Democrats are reassessing their electoral map, with Ohio and Iowa emerging as potential bellwethers. Once reliable swing states that have recently tilted Republican, these states are now seen as indicators of a broader realignment. Promises to revitalize the nation’s manufacturing sector remain unfulfilled, creating an opening for Democrats to reconnect with working-class voters. The party’s performance in these states could signal whether the Midwest is back in play or slipping further away.nnIn Iowa and Ohio, Democrats have a shot at winning Senate races that are crucial to the net four-seat gain they need to claim a majority — a goal that eluded them in 2018. That year, Republicans held control of the Senate but lost their majority in the House, including three seats in Iowa. Now, with Democrats making Republicans sweat in a host of red-state Senate races, a new batch of swing states may be emerging. “Move over Wisconsin and Arizona,” Axios reports, noting that some of the closest Senate races are in Nebraska, Ohio, Texas, Iowa, and even Kansas. This shifting landscape suggests that Democrats are competitive in areas previously considered safe for Republicans.nnIowa, in particular, is drawing attention. Before President Donald Trump won the state three times in a row, Democrats took Iowa in six of the seven presidential races between 1988 and 2012. Next week, Iowa Democrats are competitive in a Senate race, gubernatorial race, and three House races; if they win, Democrats think it might put Iowa back in the mix as a presidential swing state. Iowa Democratic Senate nominee Josh Turek told Semafor that it “absolutely” could be, as long as the candidate is “a common-sense, prairie populist like myself, [who’s] going to focus on economic populism and not culture war stuff.” This approach could serve as a blueprint for Democrats nationwide.nnMeanwhile, the party’s rising stars are fanning out across the country. Ocasio-Cortez attended an event in Maine on Thursday, is in Bakersfield, California, on Friday, and will attend an early-voting rally in North Las Vegas,
Shimanta Das 
