Rep. Tim Ryan Drops Out of 2020 Presidential Race
WASHINGTON — Rep. Tim Ryan is dropping out of the presidential race. The Ohio Democrat announced his decision in a video posted to his Twitter account.
“I got into this race in April to really give voice to the forgotten people of our country. I look forward to continuing that fight. Thank you to everyone who supported this campaign,” he said as part of the announcement.
Ryan, a nine-term Congressman, tried throughout his campaign to position himself as a moderate who understood and could speak to the concerns of working class Midwestern voters who supported Donald Trump in 2016.
“I wanted to give voice to the forgotten communities that have been left behind by globalization and automation. And I’m proud of this campaign, because I believe we’ve done that,” Ryan said in the video. “We’ve given voice to the forgotten communities and the forgotten people in the United States.”
However, he failed to gain any traction in a crowded Democratic field and failed to qualify for recent Democratic debates.
On Thursday, Ryan said he will be “returning home to my family and friends and community in Ohio” and seeking reelection next year to his U.S. House seat.
The filing deadline for primary candidates in Ohio is Dec. 16.
The representative’s most recent fundraising report showed he had only $158,000 on hand.