The Ohio Federation of Teachers, the United Auto Workers, and the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters have endorsed U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate.
The labor unions represent tens of thousands of workers across Ohio, in fields including manufacturing and construction, health care, and education.
The Ohio AFL-CIO, a labor union representing more than 1 million Ohio workers and retirees, also announced they were endorsing Congressman Tim Ryan’s bid for U.S. Senate.
“Tim has spent his career fighting for working people in Ohio and we know he will continue that work in the Senate,” Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga said in a statement to Spectrum News. “It is a common sight to see Tim Ryan at a union hall, or at a rally or on a picket line – he is always standing at our side, no matter what the circumstances are.”
Since launching his campaign in late April, Ryan has squarely focused on “cutting workers in on the deal,” a message his team hopes will separate him from a crowded Republican primary field that is trying to out-Trump one another.
In a statement to Spectrum News, Ryan said he was honored to receive the Ohio AFL-CIO’s endorsement.
“I’ve always been proud to stand with the working people of this state – from working to raise wages and protect your hard-earned benefits, to speaking out against corporations that try to ship Ohioans’ jobs to other countries, to keeping up the fight to pass the PRO Act,” Ryan said. “As Ohio’s next senator, I’m going to keep fighting like hell to cut our workers in on the deal, because it’s time this country finally puts you first.”
Should he clinch the nomination, Ryan faces an uphill battle running for statewide office in a state former President Donald Trump won twice by eight points.
