![Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio [Facebook]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a6985f3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/980x551+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F10%2F24%2Ftimryan.png)
Youngstown-area Rep. Tim Ryan is withdrawing from the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, he announced Thursday.
In a social media video to his supporters, Ryan announced he will instead seek re-election for his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he has held since 2003.
“We've given voice to the forgotten communities and forgotten people in the United States and while it didn't work out quite the way we planned, this voice will not be stifled,” he said in the video.
I’m announcing today that I am withdrawing from the Presidential campaign.
— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) October 24, 2019
I got into this race in April to really give voice to the forgotten people of our country. I look forward to continuing that fight.
Thank you, to everyone who supported this campaign. pic.twitter.com/BT4z3fQ205
Ryan failed to qualify for the Democratic candidates' debate earlier this month at Otterbein University outside Columbus after struggling to raise money.
“We're going to continue to try to shift how business is done in the United States,” he said. “Worrying about stakeholders for businesses, not just shareholders, the communities that they're in, the school districts that they help fund, the workers, the environment.”
Ryan had hoped the unallocation and eventual closure of the General Motors Lordstown plant in his district would help propel his campaign. He spoke at length about the battle for Lordstown in announcing his run on ABC's “The View” in April.
“I wanted to give voice to the forgotten communities that have been left behind by globalization and automation, and I'm proud of this campaign because I believe we've done that,” he said.
