Ohio Democrats and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-OH., told NBC News that Ryan was running "all by his lonesome" in the state's Senate race and that working with D.C. Democrats was "like pulling teeth."
"The national Democrats… trying to talk them into a working-class candidate, it’s like pulling teeth sometimes," Ryan told NBC News after a campaign event in Cleveland. "We’re in Ohio and we got a candidate running around with a tinfoil hat on. We’re out here fighting on our own. I mean, it’s David against Goliath."
A Democratic strategist told the outlet Ryan was running the best Senate race in the country.
"Tim Ryan is running the best Senate race in the country and having to do it all by his lonesome," Irene Lin said. "If we lose this race by a few points, and the Senate majority, blame should squarely fall on the D.C. forces who unfairly wrote off Ohio."
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Another Democrat who remained anonymous told NBC that the lack of funding from national Democrats was "malpractice."
The outlet reported that Democratic groups have provided Ryan with little help compared to Republican groups, who have spent more than $30 million on advertising for Republican candidate J.D. Vance.
The Ryan campaign's media strategist said the Senate race would be "over" if it weren't for the national support from Republicans.
"The national Democrats have walked away from Ohio prematurely," Cleveland City Council President and local Democrat Blaine Griffin told NBC News. "We need to make sure that they recognize that this still is a state that is in play."
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Ryan told Fox News Digital that he was not inviting President Biden on the campaign trail with him. Biden lost the state by eight points to former President Trump in 2020; Trump also carried it easily in 2016.
"I've disagreed with Biden on the student loan. I've disagreed with Biden on a lot of other issues, Title 42 and these other issues, been very clear," Ryan said.
Vance and Ryan were tied in an September general election poll conducted by USA Today Network Ohio and Suffolk University. Another poll conducted later in September found Ryan ahead by 3 points.
Ryan and Vance will debate on Monday in Cleveland.
