‘A Mirage’: JD Vance Says Tim Ryan Never Had a Chance

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio—Republican J.D. Vance says he never had a doubt that Ohio voters would eventually wake up to what is at stake in the upcoming Senate election.

After months of what appeared to be a neck-and-neck race with Democratic Senate nominee Tim Ryan, polls show Vance is finally breaking through with voters. But, Vance told the Washington Free Beacon in an interview, it’s not because his message changed.

“The energy is higher as you get closer to Election Day, but I’ve always thought the idea this race was close was a bit of a mirage,” Vance said on Saturday. “A lot of our base just wasn’t really paying attention to politics, they were on vacation or hanging out with their kids.” 

The most recent polls find Vance leading anywhere from 6 to as much as 9 points, a dramatic departure from what was considered a statistically tied race as recently as October. The polling lead makes Vance the most likely Republican in states considered a “battleground” to prevail on Tuesday.

Vance’s solid lead—he told the Free Beacon he now “loves the polls”—doesn’t come as a major surprise. Former president Donald Trump won the state twice by 8 points, and retiring Sen. Rob Portman’s seat has been occupied by a Republican since 1999. Even as Ryan performed well in summer polls, election prognosticators across the board always viewed Ohio as a likely Republican win, no matter what the polls said.

Ryan has struggled in the final stretch to answer questions about his record. In a recent Fox News town hall, he was asked by voters about his past statements endorsing a variety of far-left policies such as dramatically reducing the prison population. In response, Ryan said he only meant that the United States should legalize marijuana.

When asked whether he has any regrets about voting 100 percent of the time with President Joe Biden, he deflected and called for a tax cut to help Americans financially struggling amid record-high inflation.

“We’ve hammered Ryan on the airwaves over his record,” Vance told the Free Beacon. “So now when I talk to voters they’re aware he’s anti-energy, anti-cop.”

Ryan’s trouble with answering questions on his own record is emblematic of the issues plaguing his campaign. Although he pitches himself as the kind of Democrat who can win back Trump voters, he finds it difficult to break from his party’s activist base.

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