Tim Ryan (Ohio politician)

Early life and career

Ryan was born in Niles, Ohio, the son of Rochelle Maria (Rizzi) and Allen Leroy Ryan; he is of Irish and Italian ancestry. Ryan's parents divorced when he was seven years old, and Ryan was raised by his mother. Ryan graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Warren, where he played football as a quarterback and coached junior high basketball. He was recruited to play football at Youngstown State University, but a knee injury ended his playing career and he transferred to Bowling Green State University.

Ryan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Bowling Green in 1995 and was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. After college, he joined the staff of Ohio congressman Jim Traficant. In 2000, Ryan earned a Juris Doctor degree from Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. From 2000 to 2002 he served half a term in the Ohio State Senate.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

After Jim Traficant was convicted on criminal charges in 2002, Ryan declared his candidacy for the 17th district. As the result of redistricting following the 2000 census, the 17th, which had long been based in Youngstown, had been pushed west and included much of Portage County and part of Akron. Before the redistricting, all of Akron had been part of the 14th district, represented by eight-term Democrat Tom Sawyer. The 14th had been eliminated in 2000; most of it was drawn into the 13th district of fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown, but Sawyer's home was drawn into the 17th. Ryan was initially seen as an underdog in a six-way Democratic primary that included Sawyer.

In the 2002 Democratic primary, Ryan defeated Sawyer, who was seen as insufficiently labor-friendly in the newly drawn district. In the November 2002 general election, he faced Republican insurance commissioner Ann Womer Benjamin as well as Traficant, who ran as an independent from his prison cell. Ryan won with 51% of the vote to Benjamin's 37%. When he took office in January 2003, he was the youngest Democrat in the House, at 29 years of age. He was reelected to represent the 17th district five times, only once facing a contest nearly as close as his first. In 2010, he was held to 53% of the vote; Traficant, running as an independent, took 16%.

From redistricting in 2012, until giving up to seat to run for the United States Senate he served five terms as the U.S. representative for the 13th district.

Tenure

In his first year in office in 2003, Ryan was one of seven members of Congress to vote against the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act, and one of eight to oppose ratification of the Federal Trade Commission's establishment of a National Do Not Call Registry.

In 2010, Ryan voted for the Stupak Amendment restricting federal funding for abortions, but in January 2015, he announced that having "gained a deeper understanding of the complexities and emotions that accompany the difficult decisions [about whether to end a pregnancy]" over his time in public office, he had reversed his position on abortion and now identified as pro-choice.

In 2010, Ryan introduced the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, which sought punitive trade tariffs on countries, notably China, that were engaging in currency manipulation. It passed the House overwhelmingly but never made it to the floor in the Senate. In an October 2010 interview with conservative magazine Human Events, Ryan said tax increases on small businesses were necessary "because we have huge deficits. We gotta shore up Social Security. We gotta shrink our deficits."

Ryan initiated a bid to replace Pelosi as House minority leader on November 17, 2016, prompted by colleagues after the 2016 presidential election. After Pelosi agreed to give more leadership opportunities to junior members, she defeated Ryan by a vote of 134–63 on November 30.

Ryan supported the Iran nuclear deal to prevent Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. In April 2016, he tweeted, "I was in Jerusalem a few weeks ago & saw firsthand the dangerous threat Israelis face. Israel has the right to defend itself from terror."

Around 2018, Ryan helped Adi Othman, an undocumented immigrant in Youngstown, Ohio, remain in the United States. Othman had lived in the United States for nearly 40 years, ran several businesses in Youngstown, was married to a US citizen and had four US-born children. Ryan repeatedly presented a bill to Congress whereby Othman would be granted a more thorough review of his case to stay in the United States (Othman disputed a verdict by immigration officials on a matter that affected his legal status); the fact that the bill was in motion meant that Othman could temporarily stay. Othman was deported from the United States in February 2018 after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to increase the number of arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants. Ryan condemned the deportation, saying, "To watch these families get ripped apart is the most heart-breaking thing any American citizen could ever see ... Because you are for these families, it doesn't mean you are not for a secure border."

Ryan chaired the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, which investigated the January 6 United States Capitol attack. In May 2021, Ryan angrily chastised Senate Republicans for blocking a January 6 commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch (chair)
  • Subcommittee on Defense
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies

Caucus memberships

• Co-chair of the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus
• Co-chair of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Ohio River Basin Congressional Caucus
• Afterschool Caucuses
• Medicare for All Caucus
• Blue Collar Caucus
• House Pro-Choice Caucus
• Congressional Taiwan Caucus

2020 presidential campaign

Representative from Ohio's 17th congressional district (2002–2013) and Ohio's 13th congressional district (2013–2023)

After the 2018 midterms, Ryan was seen as a possible candidate for the 2020 presidential election. In February and March 2019, he traveled to early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Ryan's 2020 presidential campaign officially began on April 4, 2019, when he announced his candidacy in the Democratic primaries. He also announced that he would seek the nomination on The View. After qualifying for only two debates and continuously polling below 1% nationwide, Ryan formally withdrew from the race on October 24, 2019. He was reelected to the House of Representatives in 2020.

2022 U.S. Senate election and afterwards

Main article: 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio

On January 25, 2021, Republican U.S. senator from Ohio Rob Portman announced that he would not seek reelection in 2022. Ryan filed paperwork to run to replace him. On April 26, 2021, Ryan announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in a video posted via Twitter.

Ryan defeated Morgan Harper and Traci Johnson in the Democratic primary and faced Republican nominee JD Vance in the general election. In the pursuit of center-right voters, Ryan's campaign sought to portray him as a moderate or "independent", highlighting that he voted for some of former President Donald Trump's policies. Ryan also criticized and distanced himself from fellow Democrats, including President Joe Biden, suggesting that Biden should not seek reelection in 2024, and progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, whose endorsement he seemingly rejected.

A Ryan campaign ad, repeatedly blaming China for the loss of American jobs, attracted criticism from politicians and Asian American groups, who said it encouraged Sinophobia and anti-Asian hate. Representative Grace Meng called on Ryan to stop airing it.

On November 8, 2022, Ryan lost to J.D. Vance in the general election by 6 points.

On July 2, 2024, after the first 2024 Presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Tim Ryan said that he had lost confidence in Biden's ability to defeat Trump and called on him to be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Presidential Nominee.

Political views

Ryan is a moderate Democrat.

He has advocated a return to Bill Clintonian business-friendly policies minus NAFTA after the 2024 United States elections. He has defended and lobbied for the natural gas and cryptocurrency industry which are opposed by some Democrats, saying that natural gas has displaced coal in Ohio and employs unionized workers, and crypto has been helpful for small businesses, especially those in minority communities. He is strongly opposed to the $600 million in bonds for the Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park that Republicans added to the Ohio House budget, calling it "outrageous."

Ryan is an advocate of economic protectionism, unionization, and steps to reduce income inequality. A critic of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), he has criticized George W. Bush's and Barack Obama's trade policies.

Ryan is a strong critic of student loan forgiveness and has said that it sends a "wrong message".

Ryan has supported tougher measures against China and its ruling party. He has accused the nation of currency manipulation and outsourcing American manufacturing jobs.

Ryan described himself as a pro-life Catholic when first running for Congress in 2002. By 2015, he had shifted his stance and became pro-choice, saying that his thinking had changed and argued, "no federal or state law banning abortion can honestly and fairly take into account the various circumstances that make each decision unique".

Publications

In March 2012, Hay House published Ryan's A Mindful Nation, a book about the practice of mindfulness in both private and public life. He writes in his introduction: In October 2014, the same publisher published Ryan's The Real Food Revolution.

Personal life

In 2013, Ryan married Andrea Zetts, his second wife; Ryan is the stepfather of Zetts's two children from a previous relationship, and the two welcomed a son in 2014.

Ryan is Catholic and spent 12 years in Catholic schools such as the John F. Kennedy Catholic School in Warren, Ohio, and named Catholic social teaching as a major influence on his life and political thought. He also emphasized the religiosity of his family, crediting his "devout grandfather, other churchgoing relatives, social-justice-minded religious sisters" as his inspiration. Ryan also expressed his deep respect for Pope Francis, writing: "I'm on the Pope Francis Twitter feed and I make sure I'm always staying connected to what he's saying on public issues". Ryan styled himself as a "Roosevelt-style Catholic Democrat" while campaigning, emphasising both his working-class background and Irish-Italian Catholic roots, and is seen by political pundits as a "more traditional Catholic willing to swim in traditional political waters".

Electoral history

References

References

1. (October 24, 2019). "Democratic U.S. Representative Ryan of Ohio ends presidential bid". [[Reuters]].
2. (November 3, 2020). "Democrat Tim Ryan wins reelection to U.S. House in Ohio's 13th Congressional District". [[Associated Press]].
3. (November 8, 2022). "Trump-backed JD Vance retains GOP's US Senate seat in Ohio". Associated Press.
4. "Timothy John Ryan (b. 1973)".
5. (November 11, 2002). "Newsmaker: Tim Ryan / His win ends Traficant era in troubled Ohio district". Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
6. "Biography of Tim Ryan".
7. [http://www.fec.gov/press/press2005/20050113mur.html] {{webarchive. link. (July 1, 2010)
8. Dubail, Jean. (April 19, 2008). "Congressman Tim Ryan endorses Clinton". [[The Plain Dealer]].
9. "Congressional Votes on (US) Telemarketing Rule – Telemarketing Scum Page".
10. "Tim Ryan: Why I changed my thinking on abortion".
11. Miller, Emily. (October 1, 2010). "Democrat Tim Ryan: Raise Taxes on Small Businesses".
12. (January 18, 2015). "The Congressional Tease Caucus: 9 Members Who Think (but Never Act) on Running for Higher Office".
13. (November 17, 2016). "Rep. Tim Ryan announces challenge to Pelosi". [[CNN]].
14. (November 22, 2016). "Pelosi promises more influence for junior Democrats". [[U.S. News & World Report]].
15. (November 30, 2016). "Nancy Pelosi beats back challenge, is chosen as House Democratic leader". [[The Washington Post]].
16. Richman, Jackson. (April 5, 2019). "Record at a glance: Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan supports Israeli self-defense, though favors Iran deal". Jewish News Syndicate.
17. (February 8, 2018). "'Pillar of the community' deported from US to a land he barely knows". [[CNN]].
18. (January 11, 2021). "2 Capitol Police Officers Suspended For Actions During Rioters' Attack On Capitol". NPR.
19. Spocchia, Gino. (May 20, 2021). "Democrat angrily chastises GOP for blocking Capitol riot commission".
20. "Tim Ryan, Representative for Ohio's 13th Congressional District".
21. "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus.
22. "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus.
23. "Members". Afterschool Alliance.
24. "Members". United States House of Representatives.
25. (August 19, 2021). "Members".
26. (August 16, 2022). "Congressional Taiwan Caucus". Congressman Brad Sherman.
27. "STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY".
28. "TIM RYAN FOR AMERICA".
29. O'Reilly, Andrew. (February 6, 2019). "Rep. Tim Ryan, who once challenged Pelosi, mulling 2020 presidential bid". Fox News.
30. Gomez, Henry J.. (February 8, 2019). "Rep. Tim Ryan Is Heading To Iowa And New Hampshire As He Considers Running For President".
31. Taylor, Jessica. (April 4, 2019). "Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan Joins 2020 Race With A Populist Pitch To Blue-Collar Voters". [[NPR]].
32. (April 4, 2019). "Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio joins Democratic presidential race". [[The Washington Post]].
33. (April 4, 2019). "Ohio congressman Tim Ryan joins crowded field seeking Democrat nomination". The Denver Channel.
34. Smith, Allan. (October 24, 2019). "Tim Ryan drops out of presidential race". [[NBC News]].
35. Merica, Dan. (October 24, 2019). "Tim Ryan ends 2020 presidential campaign". [[CNN]].
36. (January 25, 2021). "Portman's exit signals uncertainty for Senate GOP".
37. "FEC Form 2 for Report FEC-1514386".
38. (April 26, 2021). "Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Ryan launches run for Senate". KELO-AM.
39. (May 3, 2022). "Rep. Tim Ryan wins Democratic Senate primary in Ohio, the AP says". [[NPR]].
40. (September 23, 2022). "New J.D. Vance ad targets Tim Ryan's support among Republican and independent voters". [[The Plain Dealer]].
41. (September 23, 2022). "Tim Ryan's Fox News Campaign Strategy". [[The Dispatch]].
42. (September 19, 2022). "Trump looks to thwart Tim Ryan's courtship of Republican voters in Ohio". [[CNN]].
43. Dorman, John L.. "Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan waves off support from AOC in his Ohio Senate bid: 'It's not a helpful endorsement here'".
44. Yam, Kimmy. (April 1, 2022). "Asian Americans call out Rep. Tim Ryan for airing ad that's 'rife with Sinophobia'".
45. (April 4, 2022). "Facing criticism, Tim Ryan defends anti-China ad in Ohio Senate race". [[Roll Call]].
46. Yam, Kimmy. (April 1, 2022). "Asian Americans call out Rep. Tim Ryan for airing ad that's 'rife with Sinophobia'".
47. (8 November 2022). "Ohio U.S. Senate Election Results". The New York Times.
48. (July 2, 2024). "Tim Ryan Says Kamala Harris Should Replace Biden as Democratic Nominee".
49. (2022-10-10). "Tim Ryan 'all by his lonesome' as national Democrats ignore close Ohio Senate race".
50. (2022-07-11). "Democrat Tim Ryan chases after Fox News viewers in Ohio Senate race".
51. Payne, Aaron. (2025-05-20). "Democrat Tim Ryan says he'll decide this summer if he'll run for Ohio governor next year".
52. Hicks, Kathleen. (2018). "Beyond the Water's Edge: Measuring the Internationalism of Congress". [[Center for Strategic & International Studies]].
53. Francia, Peter. (2006). "The Future of Organized Labor in American Politics". [[Columbia University Press]].
54. Douglas, Michael. (November 14, 2021). "On issue of income equality, Tim Ryan believes Democrats can help workers catch up".
55. Ecarma, Caleb. (July 13, 2022). "Tim Ryan Is Throwing Out the Democratic Playbook in Ohio".
56. BeMiller, Haley. "Democrat Tim Ryan blasts student loan forgiveness, says it sends 'wrong message'".
57. Jackson, Herb. (April 4, 2022). "Facing criticism, Tim Ryan defends anti-China ad in Ohio Senate race".
58. (28 January 2015). "Tim Ryan: Why I changed my thinking on abortion". [[Akron Beacon Journal]].
59. "A Mindful Nation by Tim Ryan".
60. "Tim Ryan relocates to Columbus area for job".
61. (April 22, 2013). "Rep. Tim Ryan marries Andrea Zetts of Struthers". [[The Plain Dealer]].
62. (May 22, 2013). "Rep. Tim Ryan and new wife purchase spacious home in Howland Township". [[The Plain Dealer]].
63. (June 13, 2014). "Baby Brady arrives at Tim Ryan's household". [[The Hill (newspaper).
64. (22 November 2022). "Democrat Tim Ryan calls for some abortion limits as Ohio Senate race tightens". [[Catholic News Agency]].
65. (26 October 2022). "JD Vance and Tim Ryan, two very different Catholics, vie for power in Ohio". [[National Catholic Reporter]].
66. "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
67. (December 11, 2008). "CANVASS OF VOTES - NOVEMBER 4, 2008 GENERAL ELECTION".
68. "Duane Grassell's Biography – The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart.
69. "REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS - NOVEMBER 2, 2010 - Amended Official Results".