By Marcin Bryszak
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Republican candidate Mitt Romney has been forced to cancel a scheduled campaigning visit to Virginia.
Instead, he and running mate Paul Ryan have refocused their efforts on Ohio — also a swing state — where Republicans and Democrats are currently tied at 49% each for the public vote.
The state had previously been leaning towards Democrats, but Republican support evened out after the presidential debates.
On Sunday, Romney and Ryan addressed 2,000 people in a bid to secure their support.
Speaking to the crowd at a basketball field house, Romney said: “I’m heartened by what we’re seeing across the country — large crowds of independents, some Democrats, a lot of Republicans, coming together and enthusiastically getting behind this campaign”.
The pressure on Romney to take Ohio is high — no Republican has been elected president without winning in Ohio.
In the electoral college, Ohio is worth 18 electoral votes and it is vital on the path to the White House.
If Romney loses Ohio he will almost certainly to need Wisconsin’s 10 votes in the US electoral college in order to seize the White House.