The Story:
Tim Ryan, the Congressman who represents the 17th district, Ohio, announced on Thursday, October 24, that he is ending his campaign for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President. Going forward he will focus his energies instead on his race for re-election to that House seat.
The Reason:
Ryan sought to distinguish himself on the campaign trail as precisely the candidate who could win back the loyalty of those once-Democratic voters who supported Donald Trump in 2016. He sees that swing voting block as blue-collar and mid-western; and his district has both those characteristics.
In withdrawing, Ryan said that he is proud of the fight he waged, which gave a voice to “the forgotten communities that have been let behind by globalization and automation.” He said that he will continue to work for those communities.
But Ryan is ending his campaign because he has proven unable to raise the money necessary to support it. His campaign received donations of just $425,731 in the third quarter of 2019 (July through September). That is a big drop off, less than half the amount ($895,000) he had received in the second quarter.
The Thing to Know:
Money is often and aptly called the “mother’s milk of politics.”
