U.S. Rep. Ryan declines to run against DeWine

The congressman is the third to bow out of a run against the senator.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Democratic party is having a tough time finding a candidate to run against U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine in next year's election.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan became the third U.S. House member to be courted by Ohio and national Democratic leaders to run in 2006 against DeWine, an incumbent Republican, and to publicly state he won't take him on.
Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, said in a prepared statement Thursday that he is confident a Democrat can beat DeWine but that it isn't going to be him.
Ryan said the temptation to run was great, but also extremely risky.
That's because the two-term House member couldn't run for the Senate and a third two-year term in the House at the same time. Also, Ryan said he'd need to raise about $12 million for the Senate race.
DeWine has about $3 million sitting in his federal campaign fund, and Ryan has less than $100,000 in his fund.
Will run for re-election
Ryan said last month that he was leaning toward not running for the Senate seat. On Thursday, he said he'd run for re-election to the House next year.
National and Ohio Democratic leaders had urged U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, to challenge DeWine. Strickland declined and is running next year for governor.
They also approached U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Lorain, D-13th. But Brown, a former secretary of state, also chose not to challenge DeWine. Instead, he will run for re-election to the House.
skolnick@vindy.com