Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) says that, despite failing to make the cut for the next debate, he has no plans to drop out of the crowded field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for president.
Ryan remains a long-shot for the nomination in every poll. He will not be among the Democrats on stage in two weeks for the next debate at Otterbein University in Westerville, because of requirements he calls "too strict."
Ryan, though, says he’s getting more support on the ground in key early primary states like New Hampshire and South Carolina. Speaking to WOSU on Monday, Ryan said he remains “in it ‘til the end.”
“I don’t think many people are happy with the front runners right now in the Democratic Party, and I want to be there to provide another option for them," Ryan says. "And we’re getting a lot of support now that the polls have shifted with Biden dropping and Elizabeth Warren taking the lead.”
Ryan says he often reminds people that Bill Clinton didn’t become an official candidate for president until October of 1991, or 13 months before he was elected to the first of two terms.
If Ryan does eventually look to cut bait on his presidential bid and stay in Congress, the deadline for declaring himself a candidate in next year's U.S. House primary is December 11.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand have all left the Democratic race in recent weeks.
