Ohio Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, Rep. Tim Ryan, admitted that the Democrat brand is “not good” for his campaign in many parts of the Buckeye State.

New York Post reports:

The 10-term congressman has distanced himself from the national Democratic Party throughout the race, drawing mockery from the Republican National Committee and Ryan’s GOP opponent, J.D. Vance.

“You don’t advertise that you’re a Democrat. Is that because it’s an implicit recognition it’s a liability here?” CNN correspondent Manu Raju asked Ryan during an interview Thursday.

“Yeah, well — I mean, the Democratic brand, as we know, and you and I have talked about this for a long time, is not good in a lot of these places,” the lawmaker answered. “And I tell people, ‘Look, I’m an American. You’re an American.’”

“What I want people to know is, in this environment, do you have the guts to take on your own party?” Ryan added. “And from my vantage point, for me, it’s a resounding ‘yes.’”

Formerly a battleground state, Ohio has become deep red in recent years, making Ryan’s chances of flipping the seat currently held by a retiring Republican very difficult. Ryan formerly had a failed run for the presidency, losing the primary to