Biden unveils last-minute endorsement in special congressional election in Ohio

President Biden is wading into the special House election in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District with less than 24 hours to go before voters head to the polls. 

The president endorsed Democrat Allison Russo in the race to succeed former Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), who left Congress earlier this year to take a job as the president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Russo is facing off on Tuesday against Republican Mike Carey. 

“The daughter of a union carpenter and a spouse of a combat veteran, Allison Russo knows who built America: working people and the middle class,” Biden said in a statement. “She’s the kind of leader we need as we build back an economy that creates good-paying jobs, delivers more affordable health care, and puts middle-class families first.”

The endorsement was first reported on Monday by NBC News. 

Russo faces an uphill battle in the special election to replace Stivers. Former President Trump won Ohio’s 15th Congressional District last year by a 14-point margin, while Stivers won reelection by nearly 27 points.

Trump endorsed Carey, a coal lobbyist, in June, helping propel him to victory over a crowded GOP primary field.

While the district leans Republican, Democrats are treating the special election as a possible pick-up opportunity, believing that their strength in the suburbs could help hand them a win Tuesday. 

Still, that may prove difficult. An Emerson College poll conducted last month showed Carey leading Russo 50 percent to 39 percent. 

The race in Ohio’s 15th District is one of two special House elections in the Buckeye State. Last week, Biden endorsed Democrat Shontel Brown in the race to succeed former Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) in Ohio’s 11th District. Fudge stepped down earlier this year to become Biden’s Housing and Urban Development secretary.