Rep. Tim Ryan is going where other former 2020 Democratic presidential candidates haven’t — endorsing a formal rival.
The Ohio congressman, first elected to the House in 2002, said in a statement Wednesday he’s backing the former vice president.
None of the other 2020 Democratic also-rans have gone that route, holding back whatever political clout they have until the primary race progresses. That includes New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, and California Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The Biden endorsement by Ryan, 46, offers some measure of political reconciliation with the 36-year Delaware senator. Ryan, in September, chided Biden over “declining” energy.
“I’m just saying that it’s unclear sometimes when he is articulating positions. There’s a lack of clarity, and I’ll leave it at that,” Ryan said. “It is a concern you’re hearing from a lot of people in the country. And I don’t think I need to bang out everybody over the head with it. It’s out there.”
Although Ryan’s campaign never garnered much momentum — he often polled at 0% up until he dropped out in October — much of his strategy revolved around siphoning off Biden’s white, working-class support.
In July, Ryan managed to win the endorsements of two black South Carolina political insiders, who had previously backed Biden. One of the men, Brandon Brown, was the deputy political director for Biden’s failed 2008 White House Bid.
The other, Fletcher Smith, was the state’s co-chairman of Biden’s 2008 bid.
“I have a basic standard: If you call me early enough and ask for my support, then I’ll give you good consideration. If you don’t call me, then I’ll assume you don’t need my support. I didn’t get that call this time,” Smith said at the time. “I think his campaign decided we don’t need the old heads, there are a lot of young bucks out there.”
None of the seven other major Democratic candidates who dropped out of the presidential primary have endorsed a rival at this point, signaling the fluidity of the primary field.
As the primary stands, Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and South Bound, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, are in a four-way tie in the early primary states, with each new poll showing one of the candidates edging in front of the other.
Moulton, who, like Ryan, ran on a moderate message in contrast to top-tier candidates Sanders and Warren, told the Washington Examiner recently that he had yet to make a decision on the matter.
Other candidates, like de Blasio, have done an anti-endorsement of sorts. The New York City mayor attacked his predecessor, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, for considering jumping into the race.
“When he was mayor, he had no understanding of the inequality crisis. I think he was absolutely tone-deaf to what working people are going through in this city,” de Blasio said.
Gillibrand, who dropped out in August, said she would endorse another candidate at some point. She has also repeatedly said she’d prefer a female on the top of the ticket.
Yet, even while Warren rises in the polls, Gillibrand has yet to offer support.
