Democrat Tim Ryan fundraises in Hollywood after claiming J.D. Vance is 'not usually in Ohio'

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Ohio voters weigh in on Senate race between Tim Ryan and JD Vance

Lawrence Jones talks to Ohio voters at Kermit's Family Restaurant in Bowling Green.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, took time off from his Congressional duties Wednesday and attended a fundraiser in California to raise money for his Ohio Senate campaign.

Ryan, according to a report from The Wrap, traveled to the West Coast expecting to bring in over $100,000 during a Wednesday night fundraiser held at the Los Angeles home of Jay Sures, who currently serves as vice chairman and board member at United Talent Agency.

In an effort to boost Ryan's candidacy in the race, Sures, whose California home is located more than 2,000 miles away from the state Ryan hopes to represent in the Senate, told the outlet that the Ohio race is "certainly one of the most, if not the most important senate race where the Democrats can pick up a seat."

Prior to the Hollywood fundraiser, Ryan, who currently represents the Buckeye State's 13th Congressional District, submitted a letter Wednesday to House clerk Cheryl Johnson and informed her that he would not be voting in person "due to the ongoing public health emergency."

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Tim Ryan, Democrat Senate candidate for Ohio, speaks during an Undecided Voter Town Hall in Lancaster, Ohio, on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022. (Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency, and I hereby grant the authority to cast my vote by proxy to the Honorable Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., who has agreed to serve as my proxy," Ryan wrote in his letter to the clerk.

Ryan's trip to the state came on the same day he shared a video to social media that took aim at his Republican opponent and claimed J.D. Vance was frequently absent from the state of Ohio.

"Hey @JDVance1! We know you’re not usually in Ohio, so we decided to talk to some folks in Middletown for you," Ryan wrote in a tweet. "Tune in for our latest episode of Hillbilly on the Street."

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The video clip, which seemingly pokes fun at the term hillbilly — as well as Vance's novel titled "Hillbilly Elegy" — featured a young man who called himself a "redneck" and asked voters about a passage from Vance's book that was centered on work ethic.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Jordan Fuja, a spokesperson for Ryan's Senate campaign, did not mention the fundraiser and insisted that Vance is the one who "ditched Ohio for California."

"There’s only one candidate in this race who said he felt ‘out of place in Ohio,’ ditched Ohio for California, and told Ohioans they should also move to California if they wanted a shot at success, and it’s JD Vance," Fuja said.

Responding to Ryan's visit to the Golden State to fundraise for his Senate campaign, a spokesperson for the Vance campaign told Fox News Digital that Ryan is a "shameless hypocrite."

JD Vance, Republican Senate candidate for Ohio, greets attendees during the Farm Science Review event in London, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. (Gaelen Morse/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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"Once again, Tim Ryan has shown Ohio that he’s a shameless hypocrite," the spokesperson said. "Ohioans should expect nothing less from a career politician who has spent 20 years in Washington with zero accomplishments to show for it."