Senate candidate Tim Ryan toured Toledo Spirits on Monday during his third campaign stop in the area in as many weeks as he described how small businesses can become an anchor for neighborhood redevelopment.
Mr. Ryan, a Democratic member of the U.S. House from the Youngstown area, said that supporting small businesses doesn't just benefit the businesses themselves, but can help raise the quality of life and promote revitalization in historic neighborhoods such as the Vistula neighborhood, home of Toledo Spirits.
“Too often, Washington is helping the big businesses, and the small businesses get lost in the shuffle there,” he said. “I think these are the people that are creating the jobs, but it’s also about the neighborhood, it’s also about reinvesting back into these old historic neighborhoods and so many of the old, forgotten towns.”
For Mr. Ryan’s U.S. Senate campaign, northwest Ohio has been a frequent stopping point in July. Monday’s visit followed a previous stop in Toledo and a visit to Perrysburg earlier this month. His Republican opponent, Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, last was in Toledo as recently as July 11. A spokesman for the Vance campaign said that it is still planning campaign tours and dates, but intends to visit Toledo “soon.” Mr. Vance won the Republican primary in May after receiving the highly sought-after endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
During his Toledo stop, Mr. Ryan said that he still plans to push for a tax cut for small businesses, especially if the economy is headed in the direction of a recession.
“Let’s give a tax cut to the small businesses and ask the big guys to pay a little bit more, and then we can keep the economy afloat,” he said. “They’re institutions…especially the bars and restaurants, they’re a lot more than just a bar and a restaurant, they’re community places where people come to gather, so I think they should be at the top of the list when we’re talking about how to take care of them.”
The candidate toured the facility to learn more about the spirit-making process, and sampled a variety of Toledo Spirits’ locally crafted offerings. Andrew Newby, the company’s CEO and co-founder, said that he wants elected leaders to recognize job creation and the investments made into the community by small businesses.
“In thinking about what we need from our civic leaders, our government leaders, really is about recognition of that effort and programs that support small business, not only supporting our large industrial leaders, but also what small businesses are actually doing,” Mr. Newby said. “So programs that meet a lower cap…and have a smaller impact, but still significant when we think about filling in the gaps between our large industries.”
Businesses such as Toledo Spirits can help retain and attract residents and visitors alike for places like Vistula, Toledo’s oldest neighborhood. Vistula Foundation board member Valerie Garforth spoke about the positive impact that the business has had on the neighborhood and how it fits into the area’s long-term plans.
“This neighborhood was thriving right up until the 1970s, I think, but gradually people were moving away and investment was moving away, so we want to bring that investment back,” she said. “I just think [Mr. Newby] has done a really lovely job of creating something, repurposing a building for a brand new purpose.”
The Senate hopeful touted the importance of supporting small businesses, but Mr. Ryan’s GOP detractors are more skeptical about an economy under Democratic leadership.
“Unless Tim Ryan is in Toledo to apologize for the economic devastation of soaring gas prices, higher costs, and business closures, he should cancel his plans and return to Washington to start cleaning up the mess he created with Joe Biden,” Republican National Committee spokesman Matt Fisher said in a statement following the event.
Mr. Ryan and Mr. Vance will be on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election. They are seeking the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican.
First Published July 25, 2022, 9:44 p.m.
