'This is disgusting': Ohio Senate candidate debate flares up over Great Replacement Theory as JD Vance slams Tim Ryan



Ohio Senate candidates Rep. Tim Ryan (D) and venture capitalist J.D. Vance (R) got into a heated exchange at Monday night's debate in Youngstown that devolved into personal insults and veiled accusations of racism.

The candidates met Monday for their final debate before the Nov. 8 election, which proved contentious after a moderator asked Ryan for his opinion on the "Great Replacement Theory." The conspiracy theory is a fringe belief that Jewish elites are organizing the mass importation of non-white immigrants into the United States to dilute the white vote and seize power.

Democrats and media figures have conflated the Great Replacement Theory with conservative opposition to illegal immigration in order to demonize their opponents as racists and xenophobes. Ryan attempted to do the same to Vance, linking the conspiracy theory to the deadly mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in May, in which the perpetrator targeted a predominantly black community, and accusing Vance of holding similar views to the shooter.

"I think it's nonsense. I think it is grounded in some of the most racially divisive writings in the history of the world, and this is who he's running around with," Ryan said, pointing at his Republican opponent.

"It's shameful for you to accuse me of that, given my family," Vance interjected.

\u201cJ.D. Vance: "My own children, my biracial children, get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power that you'll accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism. We are sick of it."\u201d
— Townhall.com (@Townhall.com) 1666051012

"My turn, pal," Ryan said, continuing with his response. "This great replacement theory was the motivator for the shooting in Buffalo, where that shooter had all these great replacement theory writings that J.D. Vance agrees with," Ryan charged, pointing again. "Some sicko got this information that he's peddling. Again, those extremists that he runs around with: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, all these guys just want to stoke this racial violence. We're tired of it, J.D.!"

Vance, who has three children with his Indian American wife, was visibly angry as he responded.

"This is disgusting," he said. "Here's exactly what happens when the media and people like Tim Ryan accuse me of engaging in the Great Replacement Theory. What happens is that my own children, my biracial children, get attacked by scumbags online and in person because you are so desperate for political power that you'll accuse me, the father of three beautiful biracial babies, of engaging in racism. We are sick of it!

"You can believe in the border without being a racist. You can believe in the country without being a racist. And this just shows how desperate this guy is for political power," Vance said, gesturing toward Ryan.

Turning to his opponent, Vance said, "I know you've been in office for 20 years, Tim, and I know it's a sweet gig. But you're so desperate not to have a real job that you'll slander me and slander my family. It's disgraceful."

Ryan answered with an amused expression on his face, "I think I struck a nerve with this guy."

The clash over Great Replacement Theory took place near the end of what was otherwise a civil debate at Stambaugh Auditoriam hosted by WFMJ-TV. Ryan, a 10-term congressman, and Vance, a venture capitalist and best-selling author, answered questions on inflation, abortion rights, the opioid crisis in Ohio, and more.

Polls show a very close race, with Vance leading by two points in the RealClearPolitics average. Surveys taken in October have shown Vance with one-, two-, or three-point leads, within the margin of error. The candidates are competing to succeed retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), with Democrats spending millions to flip the seat and potentially increase their Senate majority.

(h/t: Townhall)

Ohio Senate candidate Tim Ryan on late-term abortion: 'Leave it up to the woman'



Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Ohio, suggested Wednesday that there should be no limits on abortion at all, staking a radically pro-choice position ahead of the election in November.

In an interview on Fox News' "Special Report," Ryan discussed the upcoming Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case on Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban that is widely expected to overturn Roe v. Wade. On Monday, Politico published a leaked draft court majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito that called the 1973 decision legalizing abortion "egregiously wrong" and "exceptionally weak," ruling in favor of Mississippi's right to enact a 15-week abortion ban.

Ryan, who unsuccessfully challenged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for her job in 2018 and is positioning himself as a moderate Democrat, criticized the draft opinion for overruling established precedent.

"Look, I think what we had established in Roe is something that we can continue to work with, and I think those can be the parameters," he told Fox News host Bret Baier. "But then again, if you get rid of what was established law, which in many ways was conservative, to keep that to appreciate stare decisis and make sure we appreciate the law."

"If we move away from that, you will get states like Ohio that have some of the most extreme laws in the whole country. Where if you are a young girl, and you have been raped or there has been incest that you can’t — you have to — the state, the government is going to force you to bring that baby to term and I don’t think that’s a fundamental value," he added.

But Baier pressed him on whether there should be "any limits to abortion at any point," including late-term abortions where a baby is viable outside the womb. He suggested there should not be, that the choice to kill an unborn child in the womb must be left up to the mother seeking an abortion.

"Look, you got to leave it up to the woman," Ryan said. "You and I sitting here can’t account for all of the different scenarios that a woman, dealing with the complexities of a pregnancy, are going through. How can you and I figure that out?"

Tim Ryan, Dem candidate for Senate in Ohio vs. JD Vance, suggests abortion should have no limits thru all 9 months.\n\nBaier: \u201cMy question was about any limits to abortion at any point. Late term, anything?\u201d\n\nRyan: \u201cLook, you gotta leave it up to the woman.\u201dpic.twitter.com/JKf2IUqLhs
— Jerry Dunleavy (@Jerry Dunleavy) 1651707378

After draft Supreme Court opinion on Dobbs was leaked, Ryan issued a statement saying, "Overturning Roe v. Wade would be absolutely wrong, not to mention catastrophic for Ohio, where Republicans have passed one extreme and dangerous proposal after another to ban abortion—without exceptions even for rape, incest, or medical emergencies—before most people even know they’re pregnant."

He called on the Senate to "end the filibuster" — a 60-vote threshold to end debate and pass major legislation — and take up a bill that would codify Roe into federal law.

J.D. Vance, Ryan's Republican opponent for Senate, blasted his comments as a "radical position in Ohio."

Here\u2019s Kamala Harris stooge Tim Ryan defending abortion through 40 weeks. This is a barbaric position anywhere in the world (even European nations typically don\u2019t allow abortion after 12 weeks). But it\u2019s an especially radical position in Ohio.https://twitter.com/curtishouck/status/1521986348235866112\u00a0\u2026
— J.D. Vance (@J.D. Vance) 1651752666

"Here’s Kamala Harris stooge Tim Ryan defending abortion through 40 weeks. This is a barbaric position anywhere in the world (even European nations typically don’t allow abortion after 12 weeks)," said Vance.

​JD Vance secures Donald Trump's endorsement in Ohio's crowded Republican Senate primary ​



On Friday, former President Donald Trump issued his long-awaited endorsement in Ohio’s hotly contested and crowded Republican Senate primary.

With just over two weeks until the election, Trump declared his support for J.D. Vance — the Middletown, Ohio native turned venture capitalist and author of the New York Times bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy.”

In a statement released on Friday, Trump emphasized his belief that Vance is the best candidate in the Republican primary to help in the upcoming “devastating rebuke” to the Democratic agenda.

Trump said, “MAGA patriots from across the nation are set to deliver an election landslide for Republicans that will serve as a devastating rebuke of the failures of Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats. In the Great State of Ohio, the candidate most quailed and ready to win in November is J.D. Vance. We cannot play games. It is all about winning!”

"Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not so great things about me in the past, but he gets it now, and I have seen that in spades,” Trump continued. “He is our best chance for victory in what could be a very tough race.”

He went on to lambast the current Democratic primary frontrunner — former U.S. Representative Tim Ryan — as a “defective candidate.”

Trump said, “The Democrats will be spending many millions of dollars, but the good news is that they have a defective candidate who ran for President and garnered exactly zero percent in the polls. The bottom line is, we must have a Republican victory in Ohio.”

In a statement to TheBlaze, Vance said, “Donald Trump is the best president of my lifetime for the simple reason that he never bent to the mob and fought consistently for hardworking Americans. He set an example in the White House that I’ll follow in the Senate. Together, we’re going to take this country back. I’m honored and thrilled to have his support.”

To many following the race, Trump’s endorsement of Vance might come as a surprise considering past comments made by the author-turned political candidate that were critical of Trump during his 2016 bid for the White House. Politico reported that the political action groups Club for Growth Action and USA Freedom Fund combined spent nearly one million dollars on political ads touting Vance’s past statements.

Donald Trump Jr. said that he has gotten to know Vance personally over the past year and that he was certain Vance is "100% America First” He went on to say that “the leftwing media, the Dems & the weak RINOs all HATE him because he stands with #MAGA.”

Other notable conservative figures such as Missouri’s Republican Senator Josh Hawley and conservative journalist Chris Rufo celebrated Trump’s endorsement of Vance.

Hawley proclaimed, “On to victory!” And Rufo said that he was “rooting” for Vance’s success.

Despite Trump’s endorsement likely boosting Vance’s candidacy, the other candidates seeking the Republican Party’s nomination appeared unphased.

State Senator Matt Dolan said, “Rather than focusing on Ohio, Jane Timken, Josh Mandel, Mike Gibbons, & JD Vance embraced lies & undermined the Constitution to go all-on for one endorsement.”

Jane Timken, the former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, released a statement that said, “This race is about who can defeat Tim Ryan and retake the Republican Senate majority in November. I am that candidate and I look forward to having President Trump’s endorsement in the General Election.”

Josh Mandel, Ohio’s former State Treasurer, said, “I continue to be a proud supporter of President Trump and the America First agenda. I look forward to earning his endorsement in the general election and working with him to defeat Tim Ryan in November.”

Ohio Senate candidate Mike Gibbons says middle-class Americans don't pay 'any kind of fair share' of income taxes



Mike Gibbons, who is currently the leading Republican Senate candidate from Ohio, finds himself in hot water for previously saying that the American middle-class doesn't pay "any kind of fair share" of the country's income taxes.

Gibbons, a millionaire investment banker turned politician, made the comments in a September episode of "The Landscape" podcast at a media event in 2021.

Gibbons said, "The top 20% of earners in the United States pay 82% of federal income tax — and, if you do the math, and 45% to 50% don't pay any income tax, you can see the middle class is not really paying any kind of a fair share, depending on how you want to define it."

The Associated Press reported that Gibbons's comments could "take on new resonance" after United States Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) — who leads the Senate Republicans' campaign apparatus — debuted a policy strategy that called to raise taxes on Americans who currently don't earn enough money to pay federal income taxes. The tax hike would increase taxes on millions of Americans.

In the video where Gibbons makes this comment, the candidate is sitting in front of a campaign backdrop and condemns Democrats for spreading an "absolutely false" narrative suggesting that "the middle class is getting screwed and the wealthy, the elite, are cheating everybody."

Ohio GOP Senate candidate Mike Gibbons on a Crain\u2019s Cleveland Business podcast: \n\n\u201cThe top 20% of earners in the U.S. pay 82% of federal income tax \u2014 and, you do the math, and 45% to 50% don\u2019t pay any income tax\u2026 The middle class is not really paying any kind of a fair share.\u201dpic.twitter.com/VUYzPTlqmX
— Heartland Signal (@Heartland Signal) 1649459301

Gibbons suggested that the Democrats use this rhetoric because they "need the middle class to win an election."

He also went on to say that he doesn't mind the utilization of a "progressive tax system structure" but went on to say that wealthy Americans already pay a lot in taxes.

Gibbons's comments garnered considerable ire online.

Steve Cortes — a former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump and Newsmax host — lambasted Gibbons as a "gazillionaire who made a fortune doing business with the Chinese Communists."

Nan Whaley — the former Democratic Mayor of Dayton who is currently running in Ohio's Democratic gubernatorial primary — said, "This is exactly why we need to elect more leaders from the middle-class."

Riley Moore — the State Treasurer of West Virginia — said, "Ohio, please don't elect this man. He will continue failed policies that have been destroying the middle class of this great country."

A spokesperson for Gibbons's campaign told TheBlaze that "Mike Gibbons does not support tax increases on any Americans – and never has."

"Mike is a businessman, not a career politician and he understands economics and how to implement smart ideas and strategies that will benefit all Americans," the spokesperson continued. "As a conservative Mike has pledged that he will not raise taxes and will put forth pro-growth, America First policies."

JD Vance receives endorsement from Ohio Right to Life in Senate GOP primary



Ohio Right to Life, a pro-life grassroots organization in the state of Ohio, endorsed J.D. Vance in the state’s increasing contentious and rapidly approaching election to see who will replace retiring Senator Rob Portman.

According to its website, the organization works to “promote and defend the right of life of all innocent human beings, from the time of fertilization until natural death.”

Ohio Right to Life announced its endorsement of Vance this past Wednesday via press release which acknowledged the commitment of all of the Republican candidates' to the pro-life cause.

“The US Senate primary consists of four leading candidates all of which scored 100% on their Ohio Right to Life Survey,” the release said. “During this campaign, each of these four candidates have demonstrated tremendous pro-life leadership during their respective outreach at various townhalls, debates and church gatherings.”

“The state of Ohio is fortunate to have four strong pro-life candidates to choose from to serve as our next United States Senator,” the organization added.

Despite the crowded field of candidates being passionately pro-life, the organization opted to endorse Vance for Portman’s soon to be vacant seat citing his “exemplary pro-life service and statesmanship.”

“Ohio Right to Life believes JD Vance is the best candidate to continue the exemplary pro-life service and statesmanship currently demonstrated by Senator Rob Portman,” the press release stated. “JD Vance is 100% pro-life and we are confident that he will not only advance the cause of life but defend the unborn from Planned Parenthood and their allies in our nation’s capital. JD Vance will be a great US Senator.”

Vance said that he was “just thrilled” to receive Ohio Right to Life’s endorsement.

Just thrilled to have this endorsement. Ohio Right to Life is a great organization. (Also we have a very cute two year old. Love that kid.)https://twitter.com/jdvancepress/status/1512091005725646848\u00a0\u2026
— J.D. Vance (@J.D. Vance) 1649351582

“I’m so honored to have Ohio Right to Life’s endorsement and support in this race,” Vance told TheBlaze. “For many years, Ohio Right to Life has been an incredible advocate for the unborn, for the elderly and for those who love the most vulnerable members of our community here in Ohio.”

Vance continued, “I’ll be an advocate for all of those people in the US Senate and an ally of Ohio Right to Life as we fight for a day when our law and culture protects innocents as much as we know they should.”

The Republican primary to determine who will run in the November general election will be held on May 3. A recently conducted statewide survey conducted by the pro-Vance super PAC Protect Ohio Values shows businessman Mike Gibbons, Josh Mandel Ohio’s former state treasurer, and Vance in a three-way tie polling at 18%.