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Ryan’s presidential campaign takes him back to Iowa and New Hampshire

Friday, June 7, 2019

Valley lawmaker also appears safe to take stage for first debate

By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, has a full schedule of traveling and campaigning.

Also, it appears he’s safe to take the stage for the first presidential debate later this month.

Ryan of Howland, D-13th, will be in Los Angeles today for fundraising and meetings, said Michael Zetts, his campaign spokesman.

Ryan, a nine-term House member, then travels to Iowa Saturday, the state with the first presidential caucus, campaigning that day and Sunday. Ryan will be among 19 Democratic presidential candidates to speak at Sunday’s Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame dinner in Cedar Rapids.

Late Sunday, Ryan heads to Boston for fundraising.

He’ll be in New Hampshire, the state with the first presidential primary, on Monday and Tuesday.

While in New Hampshire, Ryan will deliver a speech Tuesday in Manchester at a “Politics and Eggs” event.

The event is at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

After his talk, following tradition, Ryan will sign wooden eggs. It’s a monthly forum for presidential candidates to speak to local business leaders that started in 1996.

Ryan has concentrated most of his campaigning in New Hampshire and Iowa since declaring his candidacy for president April 4.

Ryan has qualified for the first Democratic presidential debate June 26 and 27 in Miami with 20 candidates participating – 10 for each day.

To qualify, a candidate needs to either have at least 1 percent support in three qualifying polls, or have at least 65,000 unique donors with a minimum of 200 different donors in at least 20 states.

Ryan has met the polling threshold, but not the donor one.

So far, 20 candidates qualify. Wednesday is the deadline to determine who will participate in the debate.

If more than 20 candidates qualify, the next step is to give preference to those who meet both thresholds – there are 13 that do so – followed by highest polling average and then the most unique donors.

Ryan appears to be safe as he received 2 percent support in one of the qualifying polls – the University of New Hampshire’s poll of that state’s Democrats – and 1 percent in the others thus raising his average in three qualifying polls to 1.33 percent.

Meanwhile, there are four candidates who received 1 percent in three qualifying polls.