'I'm going to represent everybody'

On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan (D) made a campaign pit stop at Reino's Pizza and Pasta in downtown Tiffin. The informal event had about a dozen attendees, who spoke with Ryan about his campaign platform, grassroots strategy and favorite Northeast Ohio hot pepper bottling traditions. Local political leaders and officials attended the event, including Jim Fruth and Nancy Grandillo of the Seneca County Board of Elections, Gina Grandillo of the Seneca County Democratic Party and two candidates for Tiffin City Council, John Bing and Cheyenne Thacker. Ryan represents the 13th Ohio district in the U.S. House of Representatives, and was first elected nearly 20 years ago. He's currently on his 10th term in the House, but has his eye on Rob Portman's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat. Within the past week, Ryan received endorsement from Sherrod Brown, Ohio's second senator and fellow Democrat. Brown has recently joined Ryan for several stops on his campaign trail. Ryan currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending, as well as the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus, which works to strengthen American manufacturing and reform trade policy. He also co-chairs the Military Mental Health Task Force and Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus. Before his time in the House, Ryan also served in the Ohio State Senate, working to establish a state-based earned income tax credit, standardized community school data reporting and more. He went to college at Bowling Green State University. Recently, one of the projects Ryan has worked on is the Build Back Better Act. The new version of the bill would work to save longtime family farm operators from extra tax burdens, he said. "Ohio family farmers are a cornerstone of our economy and a pillar of our communities," Ryan said in a statement. "It is critical that Ohio's family farms can continue to thrive from generation to generation without the fear of being hit with an unaffordable tax burden. "That is why I applaud efforts to protect the stepped-up basis within the Build Back Better Act, and I will continue to be a strong advocate to ensure this important measure for our family farmers is protected as Congress continues to debate this package." For his Senate campaign, Ryan's primary focuses are the economy and quality of life in Ohio, from making college more affordable to revitalizing cities to improving the health and well-being of families and children. Ryan said Wednesday he has had experience representing small towns like Tiffin. "Small towns know what it's like to be left out and left behind," Ryan said. "I'm not going to be that kind of senator." On the same day he visited Tiffin, Ryan also stopped in Cleveland, Norwalk and Wyandot County, with stops in Youngstown, Steubenville and Marion in the days following. Sen. Brown joined him for several stops. "I made a commitment when I got in the race that I'm going everywhere," Ryan said. "I'm not going to let any small town be left out. I'm going to represent everybody." Ryan recognized the uphill battle laid out before him in a state that voted red in the past several presidential elections, but he said he's focusing on issues rather than party lines. "I think a lot of people in Ohio vote for the candidate [rather than the party]," Ryan said. "I don't write off Republicans. I try to find some common ground." The common ground he's dialing in on? The economy. "Every Republican on the other side in this race is talking about starting a culture war," he added. "But I'm talking about jobs and wages, and I think we're going to have a very good shot at winning that argument." Seneca County has a large percentage of independent voters — more than registered Democrats or registered Republicans. Ryan hopes to swing those voters his way with a grassroots campaign that meets people in their hometowns. "If we do that, they won't care what party," he said. Ryan said the pandemic made Ohio workers realize that they were "getting screwed." Costs for everything continue to go up, but wages have remained more or less stagnant. He said that CEO pay has gone up around 13,000% since the 1970s, while worker pay has gone up 18% on average. "If workers got that same bump, they'd be making $800,000 a year, which is insane," Ryan said. "It's disgustingly unfair and obnoxious, really, to see a CEO's pay rise at that level and the workers are cutting pills in half because they can't afford it." His campaign plans to focus on putting workers at the center of the economy, creating good-paying jobs with benefits, pensions, security and futures and generally just putting money in people's pockets, he said. He said he would also use the Senate seat to help raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. "I think we've got to get to $15, at least," he said. "We have to help small businesses get there over time, you know, with tax incentives. To put money in people's pockets is going to help small businesses in the long run." A key factor in Ryan's plan to bring new jobs to Ohio lies in one of Seneca County's biggest industries — manufacturing. Specifically, Ryan's vision is set towards manufacturing electric vehicles, batteries, computer chips and solar and wind power equipment. "Making Ohio a hub for manufacturing this stuff is going to be key," Ryan said. "It's competing with China — we've got to take them on. They dominate like 52% of the electric vehicle market, and we've got to go all in on those. There could be so many jobs created from it." He also floated the idea of tax incentives for solar and wind development — in fact, Ryan has a bill in progress now on tax credits for solar power supply chains. Though Ryan recognizes many rural areas' hesitance to embrace solar and wind power, especially Seneca County after the passing of State Sen. Bill Reineke's Senate Bill 52 and the long fight that led up to it, he said that the manufacturing jobs and lower energy costs should encourage development. "Ultimately, it needs to be local control whether or not you want this stuff," Ryan said. "I don't think the federal government should force anybody to do things like that. "But I think it's ceding the territory to China to dominate all these industries, making it very difficult to create jobs in Ohio." "China is building two megafactories a week," he said. "[Ohio] is building six total this year." As Ryan and his team wrapped up the Reino's luncheon (which the Congressman called "phenomenal"), he made sure to hammer the grassroots point home. "A lot of people in rural areas think Democrats don't care about them. If we don't show up, we confirm their suspicions," he said. "I think people are ready to figure out how to come together, and I hope I can be that kind of candidate."