Politics in air as Biden visits future Intel plant in Ohio

NEW ALBANY, Ohio (AP) — President Joe Biden steered clear of partisan politics at Friday's groundbreaking celebration for a huge new computer chip facility in Ohio — as a tough Senate contest in that state and a Democratic candidate seeking to distance himself from Biden reflected the challenge of translating White House policy wins into political gains.

Biden, a major force behind the legislation that helped lure Intel, went to suburban Columbus to take a victory lap just as voters in the state are starting to tune in to the Senate race between Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican author and venture capital executive JD Vance. They're competing in a former swing state that has trended Republican over the past decade.

Ryan attended the event but raised questions in interviews about whether he thinks Biden should pursue re-election in 2024. Vance did not attend.

The president, in his speech, thanked Ryan for his leadership without mentioning his Senate candidacy, choosing instead to emphasize that the Intel plant serves as a model for a U.S. economy that revolves around technology, factories and the middle class.

“Folks, we need to make these chips right here in America to bring down everyday costs and create good jobs,” Biden said. "Industry leaders are choosing us, the United States, because they see America’s back and America’s leading the way.

Touring the construction site, the president chatted with unionized workers in hard hats and noted his own blue collar credentials, saying, “These are my people, where I come from.”

Intel had delayed groundbreaking on the $20 billion plant until Congress passed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. The plant speaks to how the president is trying to revive American manufacturing nationwide, including in states that are...