CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The Democratic hopeful vying to be Ohio’s next U.S. Senator stopped in Chillicothe on Saturday night.
Congresman Tim Ryan, from Youngstown, and his wife, Andrea was greeted in Yoctangee Park ahead of the annual Halloween Parade. The duo was greeted by dozens of supporters, which included people from both political parties.
The longtime Ohio Democrat who is challenging J.D. Vance has turned the state into perhaps the country’s unlikeliest Senate battleground.
“I know enough about you to know that you aren’t here for yourself; you’re here in this park for your kids and grandkids,” said Ryan to a cheering crowd. “You’re helping this country have a big shift, when it’s needed … Ohio has always stepped up. You can go back to the civil war and this country was being ripped apart. Who helped save it? A bunch of generals from Ohio. When Roosevelt wanted to build the arsenal democracy and we needed men to go over to Europe and we needed women to go to the factors, who stepped up? Ohio did. And, when Kennedy said we’re going to the moon? Where were the astronauts from? It’s our turn to take flight again, and it’s going to start in places like Chillicothe.”
The ten-term congressman has garnered a wide array of support, particularly from Republicans.
For years, Ryan had appeared occasionally on Fox News, offering a veneer of Democratic support for hawkish positions on trade, immigration, or China. This summer, he produced a clever ad that was composed exclusively of clips of Fox News personalities praising him. Maria Bartiromo: “Congressman Ryan, you’ve been a jobs creator. You’ve been tough on China.” Peter Doocy: “Tim Ryan, who is obviously pitching some of the more moderate ideas.” Tucker Carlson: “Watch what happened when Congressman Tim Ryan tried to remind his fellow-Democrats that most Americans don’t actually support open borders.”
On Tuesday, Ryan and Vance will be hosted by FOX News at a Town Hall in Columbus that will be televised live.