Republican and Democratic presidential candidates and their families have hit Ohio hard, making 126 campaign stops to the state, and in the final two weeks, the visits included Clark County.

Ohio is a top swing state, and Clark County is one of the state’s bellwether communities.

“Clark County is a microcosm of the whole state, and how Clark County goes is usually the way the state goes,” said Lynda Smith, Republican Party chair and chair of the Clark County Board of Elections.

Clark County has 91,419 registered voters, and about 61,000 are independent voters.

“Both sides want those independent votes,” Smith said.

President Barack Obama, who has made 25 stops in Ohio, spoke Friday at Springfield High School before a crowd of about 4,000 in his first visit here.

Vice President Joe Biden has made 21 stops in Ohio, including stopping by Catanzaro’s Pizza & Subs and the local Obama headquarters Oct. 23.

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan has made 19 Ohio stops and visited Young’s Dairy near Yellow Springs Oct. 27.

The visits add to a growing list of sitting presidents and candidates who have stopped in Clark County en route to the White House. Obama is among 18 presidents who have visited the area and one of six who were sitting presidents at the time of their stop.

Mitt Romney has made 43 campaign stops in Ohio, and Smith said local leaders are hopeful he still will come to Clark County.

Clark County Democratic Party Chair Ron Rhine said party leaders lobbied hard to get Obama to come to the area, saying visits from the president or any presidential candidate generate excitement in the community and can translate to more votes.

“They get excited about the election, excited about voting, and they bring their friends, relatives and neighbors,” Rhine said.

In 2008, Obama did not carry Clark County, receiving 31,958 votes, compared to Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who garnered 33,634 votes.

Rhine and others said 2008 was one of the few times that Clark County results did not reflect the outcome nationally.

“We won the city, but only won one precinct in the county. Hopefully, that will change,” Rhine said.

Other presidents who have visited the area during campaigns or post presidency include: Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Warren Harding, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and John F. Kennedy, according to research by the Heritage Center.

Ardath Dellapina, education and program director at the Heritage Center, said visits from a president or presidential campaign stops builds excitement that trumps partisan politics.

“When a president comes, regardless of party or politics, the community feels very honored,” Dellapina said, noting that presidential candidate John Kerry and others have held campaign rallies at the Heritage Center.

“But this is even more exciting since this is a sitting president. I don’t think attendance is based on support, but it’s the respect for a sitting president.”

Don Rankin, 85, of Urbana has seen Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy campaign in Clark County.

“It brings excitement and continues to this day,” Rankin said. “It was a thrill for the people. Kennedy was of the opposite party, but I was thrilled to see in person the president.”

Beverly Powell said she was 18 when she saw Kennedy speak at Wittenberg University. She said she also saw Clinton in the area.

“It’s exciting to see the president of the United State or somebody who might be,” Powell said.

Vickie Nichols, 64, stood in line 55 minutes to get tickets to see Obama on Friday.

Before the rally, she said she planned to arrive a few hours early to find a place to park and a good seat.

“I haven’t made up my mind which way I’m voting, but I thought this is history, so I’m going,” Nichols said. “I’m still kicking myself for not going to see Kennedy at Wittenberg.”

Nichols said she is an undecided voter and her attendance was not an indication that she supports Obama, but was an attempt to see another sitting president after seeing Ford in Springfield years ago.

“This is history whether I’m for him or not. It’s history in the making,” Nichols said.