Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, is expected to announce in March a run for the seat of Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who announced last month he does not intend to seek reelection in 2022.
The New York Times reported Monday, Ryan, 47, is being encouraged to seek the seat by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. He also has spoken to other prominent Democrats in the state and nationally.
Former Democrat Gov. Ted Strickland said he thinks Ryan is "the person with the best chance, given this political climate we're in" and looking at the increasingly Republican voting patterns in the state.
Ryan already has picked up the endorsement of the Ohio chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers even without officially announcing his campaign.
"The U.S. Senate needs another working-class voice, and I'm very serious about the opportunity to continue representing the people of Ohio," Ryan told the Times.
Ryan ran a brief presidential bid in 2019 before endorsing eventual Democrat nominee and Electoral College winner Joe Biden.
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