Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan admits that Democratic brand is harmful for his political image
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Congressman Tim Ryan admitted Thursday that he’s shying away from using the party label in his campaign for Senate because the Democrat brand is “not good” in Ohio.
“One thing Ryan’s ads do not emphasize, he is a Democrat and often votes with President Biden,” CNN’s chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju noted while introducing his interview with the Senate hopeful running in a state Trump won by 8 points.
“You don’t advertise that you’re a Democrat” Raju observed to Ryan. “Is that because it’s an implicit recognition it’s a liability here?”
Ryan responded that the brand of the Democrat Party has become radioactive in a competitive state like Ohio.
Democrat Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan
(Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch via AP)
“Yeah, well — I mean, the Democratic brand, as we know, and you and I have talked about this for a long time, is not good in a lot of these places,” said Ryan. “And I tell people, look, I’m an American. You’re an American.”
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His opponent, Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance, responded to Ryan’s campaign tactic in a radio appearance on Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla.
“Tim Ryan’s entire problem is that he’s a fake moderate. His voting record is 100 percent with Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. He is a lockstep liberal Democrat. And yet in his TV commercials in the state of Ohio, he pretends that he’s some sort of like independent conservative,” said Vance.
Vance specifically knocked Ryan’s television commercials.
Ohio Senate GOP nominee JD Vance takes the stage to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
(AP )
“You wouldn’t even know that he was a Democrat based on his TV commercials. This middle class tax cut issue is the entire centerpiece of his campaign. The only thing that he talks about is the need for a middle class tax cut,” Vance observed. “And yet, Tim Ryan three weeks ago voted for $20 billion of middle class tax increases, backed up with 87,000 IRS agents to go after middle class Ohioans and small businesses all across the state.”
Vance then offered a direct challenge to Ryan, “So maybe stop pretending that you’re a fake moderate, actually own up to your voting record and let the people of Ohio decide if they want to send a rubber stamp for Joe Biden to the U.S. Senate.”
U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, speaks at the UAW Local 12 union rally in Toledo, Ohio on Saturday, August 20, 2022.
(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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A recent Emerson College Polling survey of state voters showed Vance with a 5-point lead over Ryan, leading 47% to 42% with 10% undecided
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