Ohio Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan acknowledged this week that he is reluctant to advertise his party affiliation during his campaign for the US Senate because the Democratic brand is “not good” in many parts of the Buckeye State.

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.’”