In an appearance on The View, Ohio Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-17), announced Thursday his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election.
The nine-term representative from Ohio’s 13th district (formerly 17th) pointed to the recent closure of the Lordstown Assembly Complex in his district as evidence that President Donald Trump is failing in his central campaign promise to revive and renew America’s economy and manufacturing sector. When Co-Host Abby Huntsman cited a poll that found 70% percent of Americans were optimistic about America’s economy, Rep. Ryan replied “Not in my district.”
Throughout his appearance, Ryan articulated his appeal with the midwest and blue-collar voters as his chief competitive advantage over other candidates. Republican National Committee (RNC) Communications Director Michael Ahrens, however, wasted no time in blasting the candidate in a message stating:
Tim Ryan is a Congressional backbencher who has no chance of becoming president. You can just add him to the long list of liberal candidates demanding government-run health care, and it underscores how radical and out-of-touch this Democratic field truly is.
Rep. Ryan has just concluded a multi-state tour of key battleground states including Iowa and New Hampshire. This left little doubt for most that the Ohio native was considering running for office. As previously reported, his message seemed to find resonance as one Iowa native noted:
I think being from Ohio and someone who can win and Trump districts especially, he knows how to relate to folks who are working those industries who are just devastated by the tariffs situation and he knows how to win and fight for those people.
Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, despite a heavily promoted and covered, the multi-state tour of key battleground states and a tremendous amount of positive press, decided not to run in March. It was noted by many that his voting advantage: blue-collar and white, working-class voters, would overlap heavily with former Vice President Joe Biden, whose name recognition and political bona fides, most assumed would eventually overtake Brown’s. However, as Vice President Biden is facing severe backlash after being accused of inappropriate behavior with multiple women, Biden could be effectively neutralized as a 2020 contender. By default, this would leave Ryan, as one of the few candidates left, using their appeal with these demographics to carry them into the White House.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxLvHUSp04
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Andrew Shirley is a reporter at Battleground State News and The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tim Ryan” by Tim Evanson. CC BY-SA 2.0.
