Who is Tim Ryan? What to know about the Democratic congressman and Ohio Senate nominee

Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY
·4 min read

After nearly 20 years representing Ohio in the House of Representatives and a recent presidential campaign, Congressman Tim Ryan is running to fill an open Senate seat left by outgoing Republican Rob Portman.

Ryan, who was endorsed by his party and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, secured the nomination by a wide margin in the primary. In the November general election, he will take on conservative commentator J.D. Vance, who rode a late endorsement from Donald Trump to victory over a crowded GOP field.

Trump won Ohio in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, and Republicans have had a virtual lock on statewide elections since 2010.

Here is what to know about Ryan.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, speaks during the first of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Tuesday, July 30, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, speaks during the first of two Democratic presidential primary debates hosted by CNN Tuesday, July 30, 2019, in the Fox Theatre in Detroit.

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Who is Tim Ryan?

Ryan is a Democrat who represents Ohio’s 13th district in the House of Representatives. He has represented Ohio in the Congress since 2003. He is also a former Democratic presidential candidate. Before Ryan was elected to Congress, he served as an Ohio state senator. Ryan’s career in politics began in 1994  when he worked as an intern for Democratic Ohio congressman James Traficant.

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How old is Tim Ryan?

Ryan was born on July 16, 1973. He is 48 years old.

Where is Tim Ryan from?

Ryan was born and grew up in Niles, a northeastern Ohio town near Cleveland and Youngstown.

Where does Tim Ryan stand on the issues?

Ryan is basing his campaign on 14 key issues, but the thrust of his pitch centers on Ohio’s working class.

Ryan voted to pass the PRO Act in 2021, which expands protections for workers attempting to unionize, and has pledged to continue his support for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Part of Ryan’s plan for revitalizing the state’s working class, according to his campaign website, includes creating new jobs by investing in infrastructure and funding more apprenticeship and skills training programs. 

He is also pro-choice and said in a statement that he supports the effort to codify the abortion rights guaranteed by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in light of the leaked draft opinion indicating the Supreme Court will overturn the ruling. His other stances on popular issues include support for gun law reform, ending the Senate filibuster and expanding federal voting protections, according to his campaign site.

What part of Ohio does Tim Ryan represent?

Ryan has served in the House of Representatives since 2003. He represents the 13th congressional district, which encompasses Youngstown and Warren.  Ryan is in his 10th term in the house.

The state’s Republican-led redistricting commission recently redrew the 13th and other congressional districts, but the changes were struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court for unfairly advantaging Republicans. The most recent map is being considered by the courts and was used in the state's May 3 primary.

Does Tim Ryan have a family?

Ryan married his wife Andrea Zetts in 2013. They live in Howland, Ohio, and have three kids together, two from Zetts’ previous marriage. Zetts is an elementary school teacher.

When did Tim Ryan run for president?

Ryan hoped to win the democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election. He announced his candidacy for president in April 2019. His longshot bid for the presidency ended in Oct. 2019, when he announced his withdrawal from the race. Ryan qualified for the first couple Democratic debates in summer 2019, but failed to crack 1% in the national polls.

Who has endorsed Tim Ryan?

Ryan's major endorsements come from the Ohio Democratic party and Brown, the state's senior senator. Fellow democratic Ohio congresswomen Joyce Beatty and Marcy Kaptur also endorsed Ryan.

Ryan also won the endorsement of a number of Ohio labor unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers.

Where did Tim Ryan go to college?

In 1995, Ryan got a bachelor’s degree in political science from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He then got a law degree from the University of New Hampshire Law School in 2000.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tim Ryan is the Democratic nominee for Ohio Senate. What to know.

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