Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican opponent Chris DePizzo discuss differences

By DAVID SKOLNICK

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-13th, said he should be re-elected because he’s a proven leader while his Republican opponent Chris DePizzo said the incumbent has failed the area during his nearly 16 years in Congress.

The two were among numerous candidates who spoke at a Monday forum at Union Baptist Church.

They painted different pictures of the congressional district during their talks.

“I’m running for Congress because I’m tired of our area being taken advantage of,” said DePizzo, a Cardinal Mooney High School graduate who lives in Cuyahoga Falls. “We’ve lost 40,000 jobs since my opponent took office.”

If elected, DePizzo said his “No. 1 priority is jobs for the Valley.”

Ryan of Howland said during his nearly 16 years in the U.S. House, he’s brought back more than $200 million in federal funding to the district.

“I have been fighting against the rigged system in Washington, D.C.,” Ryan said. “Our Republican friends passed a $2.3 trillion tax cut with 83 percent going to the top 1 percent of the wealthiest people in the country.”

Ryan said when he and others asked: “What about health care, what about education, what about rebuilding our cities, what about cleaning up our neighborhoods, what about water lines and sewer lines, and homes filled with lead paint? You know what the answer was from our Republican friends? ‘We don’t have any money.’”

Ryan was asked by an audience member about supporting President Donald Trump, a Republican. Ryan said he does when Trump is right such as renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. But he added that Trump spends more time trying to divide the country than uniting it.

After the forum, The Vindicator asked the two men why they’re the better candidate.

DePizzo said: “I’ve had a job in the private sector. Congressman Ryan has never had anything but a government paycheck. I think that reflects your world view. He’s never answered the question why we’ve lost 40,000 jobs, why are we losing manufacturing jobs?”

Ryan said: “I’ve got a proven record of bringing hundreds of millions of dollars back here and if you look at where Youngstown, Warren, Akron or Kent are today, we’re in a much, much different position because of the money I’ve been able to bring back and the ability to diversify the economy.”

While the two have appeared at a few campaign forums, DePizzo in May sought to debate Ryan 12 times throughout the 13th Congressional District, which includes Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage, Summit and Stark counties.

Ryan said: “I don’t know what the difference is” between a debate and a forum. “He gets to speak his piece and I get to speak my piece. The community is able to ask questions.”

When asked again about a debate, Ryan said: “I’ve got nothing to run from. I’m proud of my record and every opportunity I have to get that out, I’m going to do it.”

DePizzo said there’s a huge difference between a forum and a debate.

“Tim, it’s great what you say, but what do you do?” DePizzo said. “It’s great you say you’re bipartisan, but why do you vote with [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi 95 percent of the time?”