Gloves off in Ohio Senate race: J.D. Vance says 'rubber stamp radical' Ryan is 'no moderate'

In a tight Senate race in Ohio between author and former venture capitalist J.D. Vance and Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, the Peter Thiel-backed Republican is challenging the perception that his opponent represents or votes with the moderate wing of the Democratic Party.

In a statement on Friday, Vance contrasted Ryan with moderate West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. 

"While actual moderate Democrats like Joe Manchin stand up to Joe Biden's inflationary and job-killing climate extremism, Tim Ryan has sold Ohioans out to the radical left once again," said Vance. "Tim Ryan is no moderate: he's a rubber stamp radical who votes with Joe Biden 100% of the time.

"Ryan likes to call himself a 'moderate,' but after 20 years in Washington, D.C., he votes like AOC, not Joe Manchin. If Ryan gets his way, Ohioans will be brutalized with higher energy costs and even higher inflation. I'm running for Senate because we cannot allow this career politician to get a promotion, so he can be the deciding vote to force his radical Green New Deal policies on Ohio."

Vance was referring to a recent CNN interview in which Ryan said he does not believe skyrocketing prices "are really an issue when it comes to investing into the jobs of the future," meaning he backs Democrats' green legislative agenda, which could cost hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars but in theory revolutionize several industries to be more climate-friendly.

Ryan did add that he is calling for a tax cut because he understands that "people are getting crushed" by inflation at the moment.

Ryan, who briefly ran for president in 2016, recently posted a $9.1 million haul for the second fundraising quarter, compared to Vance's $2.3 million.

A recent poll puts Vance and Ryan within the margin of error of one another for the Senate seat being vacated by GOP Sen. Rob Portman.