YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Changing voting patterns have put Ohio in an unfamiliar position in the 2020 presidential election. Some political pundits believe the state is in danger of being ignored.

Many former Democrats in rural, blue-collar Ohio voted for Donald Trump in 2016, and for a GOP ticket statewide last year, helping the state turn from blue to red.

Some of the Democratic candidates running for president will be in Ohio tomorrow for their latest debate, and 21 News will be there.

So why are Democrats looking at Ohio voters differently in this election?

In the upcoming election cycle, the Mahoning Valley may not be in the Democrats' crosshairs for the first time ever during a Presidential election.

But Democrats will likely target support in other parts of Ohio.

Was President Donald Trump successful in turning a traditionally blue state, red?

If so, has Ohio lost its status as a battleground and bellwether state, where it was often said during presidential elections, "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation?"

Dr. Paul Sracic, the chair of Youngstown State's Politics and International Relations Department, says, "The fact is Barack Obama could have lost Ohio in 2008 and 2012, he still would have been President. Donald Trump could have lost Ohio in 2016, he would still be President, so this is from the number of electoral votes. We are not necessary to accumulating a majority of the electoral college."

Dr. Sracic says Ohio remains a "swing state" even though Trump's 2016 victory has altered the landscape.

"I mean Donald Trump won Ohio, not narrowly, but by 8 points. So some Democrats are probably thinking, is it still a competitive state? But you saw the governor's election was still close," Dr. Sracic said.

According to Dr. Sracic, the big problem that the Democrats have is what do they tell voters here, particularly if they're concerned about the economy?

"For years the Democratic message, when they came to places like Youngstown, was the reason you don't have jobs is these unfair trade deals. Trump has taken that away from the Democratic Party, You can't out anti-trade Donald Trump," Dr. Sracic said.

Whether Ohio is a Democratic state or Republican state depends on who you ask. La Trice Washington, an Associate Professor of Political Science for Otterbein University, says the outcome of the 2020 election will also depend on various political and social dynamics. But she believes there's a substantial possibility that Donald Trump can win again in Ohio.

"What we actually see a lot of now is like the rise of White Nationalism and a whole host of other things that are extremely polarizing. But a lot of individuals feel like they found their voice in President Trump," Washington said.

The Chairman of Ohio's Democratic Party, David Pepper, says, while Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are critical states in 2020, Ohio is still very much in play. "The debate being here, the candidates being here. Donald Trump shows that. He's been to Ohio more than any state where he doesn't have a golf course. Meaning, he comes here when he needs to campaign."

Pepper goes on to say that what some feel are broken promises from Trump could hurt him in 2020, "We saw another poll today. He's been underwater in Ohio for a long time now. He's down, way down, 20 points or something from the day that he took office. People here know the broken promises, whether it's autoworkers in Lordstown, whether it's their spouses that are being hurt by that, whether it's farmers or people who are worried about their healthcare. Trump promised a lot to Ohio, people listened to his promises, and now people see that he's broken them."

But some feel it's about who has the best ground game, by putting boots on the ground and going door to door to campaign about the issues and whether a Democrat or Republican is best suited to be the next President of the United States.