Feb 26 - U.S. Vice President JD Vance will travel on Thursday to Plover, a locality within Wisconsin’s third congressional district, as part of a broader White House effort to defend the slim Republican majority in the House of Representatives ahead of the November midterm elections.
The stop in Plover, which lies within the district represented by Republican Derrick Van Orden, will include a tour of a manufacturing facility. The visit is intended to reinforce President Donald Trump’s economic message following his State of the Union address earlier this week.
In that address, the president presented a range of household economic topics - housing, healthcare and utility bills - while not explicitly acknowledging that many Americans continue to face high living costs, including elevated food and housing prices. Some Republican strategists have cautioned that without a more forceful articulation on inflation, the party risks jeopardizing its hold on Congress this November.
Vance’s trip is part of a coordinated White House push to put the president and senior administration figures in key battleground areas to spotlight the administration’s economic priorities. The White House has scheduled additional events: later this week President Trump is set to travel to Texas for a gathering centered on energy and the economy.
National Democrats have signaled they are increasing financial resources in the Wisconsin district, which is one of two Republican-held seats in the state targeted by Democrats this cycle. Van Orden secured re-election in 2024 by a margin of fewer than three percentage points, underscoring the seat’s competitiveness.
In the 2024 cycle, President Trump carried the district by seven points, a result that formed part of a broader sweep across battleground states that helped propel him to victory. The president formally endorsed Van Orden in the 2026 race 10 months ago.
The Plover engagement will mark Vance’s second visit to the district; he previously traveled to La Crosse in August to promote the president’s tax and spending law.
The administration’s initiative to place high-profile figures in contested districts aims to translate national economic messaging into tangible local displays, such as factory visits and policy events, while opponents increase campaign investments in narrowly decided seats.