Vance will campaign at the Ohio steel plant where his grandfather once worked

Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, on Friday to campaign for Republican candidates. This campaign stop will take place at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility, a steel plant where Vance's grandfather, James Vance, worked for nearly four decades under the name Armco Steel. Vance has previously emphasized his roots in the Rust Belt region as he seeks to bolster Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections and to promote the economic policies of the Trump administration, which aimed to expand U.S. manufacturing.

This particular event holds special significance for Vance, as it allows him to connect with his family's history and the plant's role in transforming his grandparents from Kentucky's hills to the American middle class. In his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," Vance highlights the steel plant as an economic lifeline for his family. During his visit, Vance will be accompanied by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and plans to stop by Cincinnati chili restaurants.

Although his portrayal of Middletown in "Hillbilly Elegy" has faced some criticism, Vance believes his grandson's election as Vice President has brought pride to the Midwestern city. However, some residents have derisively referred to Middletown as "Middletucky" due to the influx of transplants from Kentucky, which some attribute to issues like drug addiction, "Mountain Dew mouth," and problematic father figures.