Former Ohio Representative Tim Ryan has taken on a new role as a fictional Senator in PBS’s “Breaking the Deadlock: A Power Play,” drawing mockery from Republicans while the Democrat defends the show’s bipartisan mission.
At a Glance
- Tim Ryan, who lost his 2022 Senate bid to JD Vance, is now playing a Senator in a PBS role-playing show
- Republican strategist Andrew Surabian ridiculed Ryan’s participation as “humiliating”
- Ryan currently serves as a Senior Adviser with the Progressive Policy Institute
- The PBS show aims to foster bipartisan understanding and encourage political introspection
- Ryan has advocated for Democrats to better communicate economic achievements to voters
From Senate Candidate to TV Senator
Former Democratic Representative Tim Ryan, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Ohio against Republican JD Vance in 2022, has found a new way to participate in politics – by playing a fictional Senator in a PBS show. “Breaking the Deadlock: A Power Play” features Ryan engaging with a fictional President in make-believe political scenarios designed to demonstrate how bipartisanship might work in today’s polarized environment.
“Breaking the Deadlock brings together people from across the political spectrum in a way that requires them to go beyond the usual talking points and speak to our core values as Americans,” said Aaron Tang, one of the show’s creators.
Since losing his Senate bid, Ryan has maintained a presence in policy circles as a Senior Adviser for the Progressive Policy Institute’s Campaign for Working Americans. The institute has connections to the Democratic Leadership Council and is associated with the “center-left” Third Way movement, positioning Ryan firmly within established Democratic policy spheres despite his defeat at the ballot box.
Republican Criticism and Mockery
The former Congressman’s television role has drawn sharp criticism from Republican strategists. Andrew Surabian, a GOP political operative, publicly mocked Ryan’s participation in the PBS show, writing: “Lol Failed former Ohio Senate candidate Tim Ryan has been reduced to playing a US Senator in some crappy show on PBS.”
“Pretty humiliating, but certainly the closest he will ever get to the US Senate,” Surabian added in his critique, characterizing Ryan’s involvement as a form of political fantasy for a failed candidate.
The mockery underscores the continued partisan divisions that the PBS show itself aims to address through its role-playing format. While Republicans frame Ryan’s participation as escapism, supporters of the program defend it as an innovative approach to demonstrating political compromise in action.
Ryan’s Political Perspective and Evolution
Prior to his current roles, Ryan established himself as a centrist Democrat with particular appeal in the Midwest. During his 2022 Senate campaign, he attempted to counter Vance’s right-wing populism with hawkish positions on trade, immigration, and China – positioning himself as a moderate alternative while distancing himself from progressive policies.
“We’re like a fighter who’s been fighting too long and they just want to be in a fight. Just like you punch drunk and you’re just throwing punches just to throw them because people are anxious. Okay, let’s kind of get our footing here. We’ve lost a really big election to a guy we shouldn’t have lost to twice. Maybe it’s us, maybe some self-reflection is in order here,” Ryan said in a recent interview, reflecting on the Democratic Party’s electoral challenges.
This call for Democratic self-reflection aligns with the premise of the PBS show, which places political figures in scenarios requiring compromise and introspection. Ryan has consistently emphasized the importance of Democrats better communicating their economic achievements, such as infrastructure investments and manufacturing initiatives, to voters in states like Ohio that have trended Republican in recent years.
The Changing Political Landscape
Ryan’s career trajectory reflects broader shifts in American politics, particularly in the Midwest. Once considered a reliable Democratic area supported by union workers, Ohio has become increasingly Republican territory. Ryan has attributed part of this shift to perceptions about the Democratic Party and its messaging, especially regarding economic issues that directly impact working-class voters.
“Ohio has always been a bellwether, as you know, and there are certain counties, like Stark County and Canton has for years. Tim Russert used to talk about what’s happening in Stark County because that was the bellwether within the bellwether. So the national influence has a great deal of impact on Ohio. There’s 13 different media markets that make their way into Ohio. It’s a very expensive place to run. So the national media has a very big impact here, especially in the rural areas,” Ryan has explained.
As Ryan transitions from elected official to policy adviser and television performer, his story exemplifies the evolving relationship between politics, media, and public service in an era of heightened partisanship and multiple platforms for political engagement.
