President Donald Trump has set his sights on one of Ohio’s big races — former State Rep. Christina Hagan’s bid to defeat U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13).
Trump on Friday tweeted his support for Hagan.
He said, “Christina Hagan (@RepHagan) will be an incredible Congresswoman for the working families of Northeast Ohio. An early supporter of our #MAGA agenda, she is Strong on Jobs, Border Security and your Second Amendment. Christina is running against an absolute failure, Tim Ryan, who…
Christina Hagan (@RepHagan) will be an incredible Congresswoman for the working families of Northeast Ohio. An early supporter of our #MAGA agenda, she is Strong on Jobs, Border Security and your Second Amendment. Christina is running against an absolute failure, Tim Ryan, who…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2020
Trump continued, “…talks big for the worker, but never delivers. Tim Ryan was a failed Presidential candidate and he keeps failing Ohio. Vote for Christina Hagan, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement! #OH13”.
…talks big for the worker, but never delivers. Tim Ryan was a failed Presidential candidate and he keeps failing Ohio. Vote for Christina Hagan, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement! #OH13 https://t.co/ToJVHDt8sv
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2020
Hagan replied, “It has been an incredible honor to fight beside you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump & to advocate for America First Policies #OH13 was once a great manufacturing powerhouse & we, the American Workers, are ready to start WINNING & leading AGAIN #KAG”.
It has been an incredible honor to fight beside you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump & to advocate for America First Policies! #OH13 was once a great manufacturing powerhouse & we, the American Workers, are ready to start WINNING & leading AGAIN!💪🏼✅🥾🇺🇸#KAG pic.twitter.com/04FwkPlmn3
— Christina Hagan (@RepHagan) July 3, 2020
Ryan did not take to Trump’s endorsement of Hagan too well.
He said, “The “absolute failure” is your shameful response to the coronavirus—which has devastated our economy, hurt our workers, and killed upwards of 130K Americans. Delete your account. Put down your phone. Do your job.”
The "absolute failure" is your shameful response to the coronavirus—which has devastated our economy, hurt our workers, and killed upwards of 130K Americans.
Delete your account. Put down your phone. Do your job.
— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) July 3, 2020
Hagan served in District 50 of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2011 through 2018.
Ryan spent much of 2019 traveling around the country in a failed presidential bid, and as of last September, he had only $41,050 of campaign funds, less than any other Ohio Congressional incumbent, The Plain Dealer said. Hagan had raised and spent over $400,000 during her last campaign, for the 16th Congressional District in 2018.
Trump may endorse Hagan, but the Ohio Republican Party has not done so.
The Ohio Star in February reported that the state party’s chairwoman, Jane Timken, unendorsed state representative candidate Joe Dills, after it was revealed Dills allegedly had signed up for an account on Ashley Madison, a website married people use to find others for sex. Under her leadership, the party had endorsed Dills in his primary despite her having pledged not to endorse primary candidates. Hagan failed to gain an endorsement in her primary.
That was not the first time a Timken has thrown a roadblock in Hagan’s path.
Jane Timken’s husband, then a CEO of TimkenSteel, held a fundraiser for former NFL player Anthony Gonzalez, Hagan’s primary opponent in the 16th Congressional District race, the CantonRep.com said. This came despite his wife’s pledge to stay out of party rivalries.
The Timkens’ support worked for Gonzalez, who won the primary against Hagan and Michael Grusenmeyer with 53.1 percent of the primary vote, and went on to win the general election, Ballotpedia said.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
