Tim Ryan Rakes Over $17M in Campaign Donations, Some Come From Drug Companies in Opioid Crisis

Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) has generated $17.2 million between July 1 and the end of September. This is almost twice as much as the previous record.

His campaign revealed that about 95% of the money he raised came from donations of less than $100, The Hill reported.

Recent numbers show that Ryan's fundraising has accelerated in recent months. From April 1 to June 30, the Ohio Democrat made about $9.1 million.

Ryan's most recent federal filing from July showed that he had a little less than $3.6 million in cash on hand, but his campaign did not say how much was in the bank.

In November, Ryan will run against Republican author and businessman J.D. Vance in the general election to replace Sen. Rob Portman, who is leaving office.

Tim Ryan Faces J.D. Vance on a Debate

Ohio's candidates for U.S. Senate will face off twice in debates in October in northeast Ohio.

They are getting close to the end of a complex, expensive race that has drawn national attention and could decide who controls the Senate next year.

USA Today noted that FOX 8 in Cleveland will organize the opening event on October 10 at 7 p.m. Nexstar stations all over Ohio will show the event live.

The second debate will be held at Youngstown's Stambaugh Auditorium on October 17 at 7 p.m.

Political pundits predict that the contest will determine if Republicans can take back the 50-50 Senate, which Democrats currently control, thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote.

Jessica Taylor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report said that the race between Vance and Ryan was a "prime example of a race that shouldn't be competitive but is due to GOP candidate weakness coupled with Democratic candidate strength."

$27K of Tim Ryan's Campaign Donation Came From Drug Companies Responsible for Opioid Crisis

Over the years, drug distributors who are blamed for the opioid crisis have given money to Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan's campaign, according to an Associated Press review.

Ryan's campaign for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat has focused on his opponent's questionable record in fighting the opioid epidemic.

Between 2007 and August of this year, Ryan's campaign donations came from AmerisourceBergen, McKesson, and Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, Ohio.

Early this year, the firms reached a $21 billion settlement about the cost of the opioid crisis with state, local, Native American tribe governments, and others.

The firms will not be subject to thousands of lawsuits thanks to the settlement, which is the largest over opioid claims.

According to Yahoo, the trio's $27,000 donation is a fraction of Ryan's $50 million career earnings.

Still, campaign donations from those donors are significant as Ryan attacks the anti-opioid foundation created by "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance.

A spokesman for Ryan's campaign called him one of Congress's "most outspoken fighters" of the opioid crisis.

She said that Cardinal is a big employer in Ohio and that business donations only make up one-fifth of the $17 million Ryan has raised this quarter.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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