Tim Ryan's Abortion Answer at Fox News Town Hall Receives Huge Applause

U.S. Rep Tim Ryan drew a massive round of applause when he answered a question about abortion during a Fox News town hall on Tuesday night.

The Democrat is running against Republican J.D. Vance, a venture capitalist endorsed by former president Donald Trump, for Ohio's open Senate seat.

Most polls show Vance with a narrow edge over Ryan in a race that is among a handful that could decide the balance of power in the Senate.

And with election day less than a week away, the pair fielded questions during a town hall moderated by Fox News anchors in Columbus.

While Vance embraced a national 15-week abortion ban proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, Ryan was applauded when he said "we should go back to Roe v. Wade."

He was referring to the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in 1973, and was overturned in late June, prompting a wave of state bans and restrictions on the procedure.

"There's a story or two every single week of people, women, who are in this tragic situation," Ryan said.

"Their life becomes at risk. They have to go to Illinois. Now J.D. Vance wants a national abortion ban and he wouldn't be happy with these people going to Illinois, he wants them to have to get a passport and go to Canada ... I think we go back to Roe v Wade."

Ryan said he believed third-trimester abortions should only be allowed in medical emergencies.

"In the third term of Roe v Wade, you could only do it if there was some kind of medical emergency," he said. "We don't want JD Vance and Ted Cruz and all these guys in the doctor's office."

Ryan "emphasized that this is an issue of freedom and liberty for women, and 'we don't want all these guys in the doctor's office,'" Nukhet Sandal, associate professor of political science at Ohio University, told Newsweek.

"It is not surprising that his view resonates with most women."

At a debate in October, Vance said he would support the ban proposed by Graham, but was reluctant to specify the exceptions he supported.

Asked if he wanted to ban abortion in Ohio and the country on Tuesday, he called himself "pro-life."

"Look, I'm pro-life. I am pro-life," he said, drawing applause. He added: "There's a very, very important question about whether this should happen at the federal level or at the state level and I happen to think it should be a little bit of a mix.

"In other words, 90 percent of abortion policy is going to be made by the state of Ohio and I think that's absolutely the right way it should be.

"Ohio is going to want to have a different abortion policy from California and I think every person in Ohio, whether you're pro choice or pro life like I am, absolutely should be able to make that decision.

"Now, there is a federal piece of legislation moving through the Senate right now and here's what it does, very simply. It provides reasonable exceptions, but it also sets a minimum national standard and I think that that's a good idea."

Sandal said Vance and many Republicans are "painting a picture as if it is common for women to have such abortions in much later stages, and it is not."

Citing Vance's past comments about the issue, Sandal added: "He does not consider rape to be a reason for abortion. According to Vance, if a body can carry a pregnancy to term, then abortion should not be an option."

Vance "sees women's bodies as vessels," Sandal said. "Ryan, on the other hand, recognizes that abortion is a difficult decision for many, and later in the pregnancy, it is most often carried out because of medical reasons. He called abortions that that take place late in the pregnancy a 'tragedy' and reiterated the Roe v. Wade position."

The Ryan and Vance campaigns have been contacted for further comment.

Update 11/2/22 8:20 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from Nukhet Sandal.