Republican Liz Cheney Hits the Campaign Trail in Support of Democrat Tim Ryan, Others

Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney hits the campaign trail in support of Democrat Tim Ryan and Representative Elissa Slotkin, arguing that we need to stand together to defend the republic.

In a statement on Tuesday, the GOP member said that if she were an Ohio voter, she would cast her vote in support of Ryan for the Senate rather than his GOP opponent J.D. Vance. She added that she would specifically not vote for Vance, a remark that the Republican made during an event at Cleveland State University.

Liz Cheney Campaigns for Democrats

Ryan is serving his 10th term in the House while Vance is trying to fill the Senate seat that is being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman. In 2020, former United States President Donald Trump won Ohio, but the Senate contest has grown even more fierce since then with the election growing closer.

The Republican businessman previously endorsed Vance in the Republican Senate primary and also held a rally for him and other GOP candidates who were running in Ohio last month. The former president is also expected to stump for Vance on the eve of Election Day in Dayton, as per CBS News.

Vance has embraced the former president's unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was filled with fraud. On the other hand, Ryan is not the first Democrat whom Cheney has expressed her support for ahead of the midterm elections.

She endorsed Slotkin from Michigan over Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett and told Arizona voters that it would be better to reject the GOP nominees for governor, Kari Lake, and secretary of state Mark Finchem.

According to the New York Times, Cheney's support for Democrats in a campaign is a first for her political career. Her appearance on Tuesday is also part of a broader last attempt of Republicans opposed to Trump to prevent a comeback of the Republican businessman's political movement in the midterm elections.

Preventing a Republican Majority

However, the question remains if Democrats, who have struggled for several months to elevate the meaning of the 2022 midterms, gain voters' support. They are facing crucial issues such as rising inflation and economical status.

Slotkin admitted that protecting the country's democracy is not the most pressing issue at hand but argued that it was a core foundation of the nation. As the midterm elections approach, both parties are trying to shore up enough support to claim victories.

In Utah, anti-Trump Republicans are supporting an independent former intelligence officer, Evan McMullin, in his campaign to usurp Sen. Mike Lee. Online, a constellation of anti-Trump groups nominally still part of the GOP have pressed that for the sake of representative democracy, people needed to side with Democrats.

The situation comes as Cheney will be leaving office after a resounding defeat in her August primary against a Trump-backed candidate. However, the Wyoming politician made it clear that she wants to shape the next session of Congress and prevent or limit the scope of a potential Republican majority who are not committed to protecting democracy, CNN reported.