President Donald Trump will hold a midterm rally Saturday, Oct. 17, at Truist Arena on Northern Kentucky University's campus in Highland Heights.
Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and Trump is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m., according to the Republican National Committee event page, as first reported by LINK nky. The rally is free but requires registration through the RNC.
The event comes less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 general election, with two races on the ballot that directly affect Boone County voters: the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell and the Kentucky 4th Congressional District seat that includes Boone County.
Traffic and road closures
Highland Heights police issued a traffic alert covering 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, warning of "significant traffic delays and potential road closures" around NKU and Truist Arena, The Northerner reported. Delays are expected along Interstate 275 between Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Highland Heights. The department urged residents to plan ahead and consider alternate routes.
NKU Police Lt. Will Love described security measures campus police have used during previous visits, including rooftop and plainclothes officers.
Senate and 4th District stakes
Rep. Andy Barr, who has represented Kentucky's 6th Congressional District since 2013, won the Republican Senate nomination in May with Trump's endorsement. He faces Democrat Charles Booker, 41, a former state representative from Louisville making his third U.S. Senate bid, and Libertarian Jeremy Todd.
Barr's campaign has emphasized border security, tax cuts and energy production, according to WHAS11. But Barr has also shifted his campaign website since the primary, replacing a photo of himself with Trump and swapping "100% America First" for "Kentucky First Always," NKY Tribune columnist Bill Straub wrote.
In the 4th District race, Republican Ed Gallrein faces Democrat Melissa Strange of Erlanger. Gallrein is a former Navy SEAL captain and fifth-generation Shelbyville farmer. He defeated seven-term incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in the May primary with 54.9% of the vote after Trump endorsed him at a March rally in Hebron. That primary became the most expensive U.S. House primary in history, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Saturday's event will be the second Trump rally ever in Northern Kentucky, following the March 11 Hebron event, and his seventh in the Cincinnati area since 2016, according to The Northerner.
What voters need to know
Early voting in Kentucky runs Oct. 29 through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 3. As we reported Oct. 13, Boone County voters face seven contested races on the ballot.
