When US Vice President J.D. Vance shook hands with a woman wearing a hat emblazoned with "Vance 2028" in his hometown of Lima, Ohio, the message was clear, at least from her perspective, even though he has yet to announce his intention to run for president in the elections scheduled for two years from now.
However, what was supposed to be a campaign event for Republican candidates in the November midterm elections in Lima, Ohio, resembled a private Vance rally.
In a striking display of spectacle, Vance descended the steps of Air Force Two, the vice president's official plane, and received a rapturous welcome upon entering the venue, which was set up inside a hangar adorned with flags.
"It feels so good to be home," Vance said to the cheering crowd.
In an unusual move for him during the campaign, Vance stepped down from the stage to personally shake hands with the audience, exchange greetings and pats on the back, and even met the woman wearing a black hat bearing his campaign slogan.
But Vance faces a problem: the midterm elections themselves. Polls indicate that President Donald Trump's declining popularity, the issue of a potential war with Iran, and the rising cost of living could cost Republicans their majority in Congress.
Ohio, which voted for Trump in the last three presidential elections, has transformed from a guaranteed Republican stronghold into one of the most hotly contested battleground states in the November 3rd election.
— "This has nothing to do with the 2028 election" —
The state is witnessing fierce competition for the Senate seat formerly held by Vance and currently occupied by Jon Husted, as well as for the governorship, where former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is vying for the position.
In a sign of Republican anxiety, Vance's visit comes just days after Trump's visit to the state and ahead of another visit by the president next week.
For Trump, losing control of Congress could mean spending the last two years of his term battling multiple investigations led by Democrats.
For Vance, a loss in Ohio could severely damage his political image, which is largely based on his working-class upbringing in the state, as he recounts in his bestselling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."
When asked by reporters about the significance of a Republican victory in Ohio for his presidential ambitions, he said, "Well, I think it has nothing to do with 2028."
"It's about how we govern our country for the next two years, the next decade," he added.
Despite Vance's remarks, the race for the 2028 election effectively begins the day after the midterm elections.
While Vance is widely considered the frontrunner to succeed Trump, he has yet to officially declare his candidacy, and the matter is far from settled.
Meanwhile, Marco Rubio has stated that he will not run against Vance, but his speech on Western civilization, delivered at the Acropolis in Athens, was widely interpreted as an introduction of himself as a potential candidate.
- Family Man -
The buzz surrounding the young vice president is growing.
Like any aspiring candidate, the 42-year-old Vance is increasingly taking his family along on his campaign trail.
He brought his wife, Osha, three of their four children, and their dog, Atlas, on Air Force Two to Cincinnati to cast his early vote in the midterm elections.
Vance is also active in fundraising; his position as chairman of the finance committee of the Republican National Committee places him at the heart of a vast network of wealthy donors.
Politically, Vance is quietly trying to escape the vice-presidential curse of being tied to the policies of the outgoing president, a dilemma that plagued Kamala Harris in 2024.
His speeches have indirectly contributed to his image as more aware of the financial burdens weighing on American families, at a time when Trump dismisses what he calls the "affordability hoax."
His independent stances also help dispel the notion that Vance is politically inconsistent, given that he once compared Trump to Hitler before becoming his vice president.
On Friday, Vance, who recently converted to Catholicism, sought to distance himself from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the announcement of a plan to broadcast live executions by the US military.
"I've seen these announcements, but I'm not sure it's going to happen," Vance told an AFP correspondent traveling with him on Friday, adding that if it were to be "live-streamed, I wouldn't watch it."
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