Reinforced by an exodus of Ohio Democrats who are now in prominent roles in Georgia, state Democrats are pressing the case that Georgia, with a more diverse population and tightening state elections, holds far more promise than Midwestern states.

“All roads to the White House will go through Georgia,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. “Our electorate is uniquely representative of the nation at large, and we provide more untapped opportunity than most other states.”

They’re battling history to make their case. Ohio is an iconic bellwether in U.S. politics, with a track record of voting for the presidential victor 29 times in the past 31 elections. The state’s electoral votes clinched victory for George W. Bush in 2004 and helped put Donald Trump over the top three years ago…

“He knows that when Ohio turns blue, that’s the end of his presidency. That’s it,” said David Pepper, the Ohio Democratic Party’s chairman. “And guess what? He’s right. He is in trouble here. He’s in deep trouble. And we’ll be the state that ends the Trump presidency.”