Vice President JD Vance is heading back to Texas next week as he and President Donald Trump step up their campaign efforts in a Republican stronghold facing increasingly competitive midterm races.
Vance will headline a rally Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, according to the Republican National Committee’s event announcement. Doors open at 8 a.m., with the event beginning at 10 a.m. Central time.
The visit follows Vance’s late-September trip to Harlingen to campaign for Republican House candidate Eric Flores, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Newsmax reported that Vance was scheduled to headline that rally Sept. 30, putting his upcoming Tyler appearance less than two weeks later.
Trump has also made repeated visits to the state, campaigning in San Antonio on Wednesday after a North Texas stop the previous week, according to The Hill’s report.
The activity comes as Texas draws heightened attention ahead of November’s elections. The Hill reported that polls show Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate race, while Gov. Greg Abbott faces a close reelection contest against Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
Democrats are putting more money behind their challenge. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association each announced $1 million investments to help Hinojosa earlier this week, according to The Hill.
The state also features competitive House contests in the 15th, 24th and 35th districts. Tyler itself sits in Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran’s safely Republican 1st District, The Hill noted.
Trump’s Campaign Schedule Expands
Vance’s return to Texas comes during a broader Republican push to mobilize voters before the Nov. 3 midterms.
ABC News reported that Republican officials view Trump’s rallies in Republican-leaning areas as a way to boost turnout among supporters who might otherwise sit out the election.
“The goal here is to drive people to the polls,” RNC National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre said during a Newsmax appearance, according to ABC News.
Trump’s confirmed schedule includes Syracuse, New York, on Friday, Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday, and Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday, according to GOP event listings. On Tuesday—the same day Vance campaigns in Tyler—Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Wasilla, Alaska.
Further stops are taking shape. Deseret News reported that Trump plans to visit Michigan and is expected to campaign in Iowa, where Republicans face competitive statewide races.
