The Atlantic

How a 2020 Underdog Is Preparing for His Moment in the National Spotlight

Tim Ryan wants to stand out on the debate stage tonight. But he’ll have only a couple of minutes to say something memorable.
Source: Charlie Neibergall / AP

You would be forgiven for mistaking Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio for Seth Moulton, the 40-year-old representative from Massachusetts who is also running for president, and who joined Ryan in a leadership challenge to Nancy Pelosi back in 2016. You might also be excused for confusing him with Eric Swalwell, a similarly aged congressman from California turned presidential candidate. Or, if you squint, maybe even John Delaney, an older, significantly wealthier former congressional backbencher from Maryland, who is also—you guessed it!—running for president.

But Ryan is, as they say, . He’s got his own set of campaign priorities and a particular vision for the country that he’s intent on communicating to the American public at the first Democratic-primary debate on Wednesday night.—field of presidential hopefuls?

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