YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Now that Tim Ryan has made it official that he is indeed running for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat, what are his chances of winning?

With the exception of Senator Sherrod Brown, most state office holders are Republican.

Former State Senator Capri Cafaro says if Ryan articulates what his vision is for communities across the state, he'll have a chance.

"He's certainly saying the right things, talking about making Ohio competitive, ensuring that we do work with businesses to create an environment that is strong for our economy but at the same time ensuring that workers get a piece of the action I think is exactly what he said," Cafaro said. "So trying to strike that balance focusing again on those kitchen table issues, he mentioned healthcare, he mentioned education, he focused on the economy and it's those kind of issues that I think will resonate and I think out of any other candidate that could potentially be running on the democratic side, I do think that Tim Ryan is likely to have the best shot against a republican in the Fall of 2022."

Cafaro also likes the timing of his announcement. As the only democrat currently in the race, he can now stake his claim to those all-important campaign dollars.

"With a clear field, he is going to be able to raise that national money and leverage the fact that this is an open seat where the balance of the senate could potentially be strengthened for the democrats, that is going to let the money pour in," Cafaro said. "So, I do think it's going to be, I wouldn't say easy because it's never easy to raise money but certainly given the balance of power in the Senate and how much it's particularly for national democratic donors who I think are likely to be frustrated by the fact that things are not getting passed in the Senate, that, they're going to be motivated donors to give to Tim Ryan, even if they don't know him. So, I think it bodes very well for his potential to raise that money, to build that infrastructure and get his message out and I think he's on the right track."

Still, there is an unknown on the GOP side and if the former President will still play a role in voters minds.

"The role Donald Trump may or may not play for a candidate on the republican side, whether it is in the primary or in the general election, I think really truly is the X-factor in all of this," Cafaro said.

Still, Ryan has never run a statewide campaign and Cafaro says it's a lot different than campaigning in one district or even for president like Ryan did in 2019.

"It's a very different state, a very big state, we sometimes forget how large the state of Ohio is and it has a lot of diversity and so it is about making those connections to those local issues and making sure they are genuine and building that infrastructure on the ground to where you have allies in these communities that are trusted and willing to go out there and campaign on their behalf and build those bridges which is so important when you are dealing with an 88-county race," Cafaro said.

The Ohio Republican Party released a statement in response that read in part, "Tim Ryan's support of radical left-wing policies do not represent the values of Ohio's working men and women."