We endorse Rep. Tim Ryan for U.S. Congress because he has continued to advance efforts toward making college cheaper.

United States Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Niles) won’t have much trouble holding his current seat in Congress.

Polls show him leading his Republican opponent, Jim Graham, by almost 40 percentage points, and after eight years as Ohio’s 17th District representative, he’s gained a loyal following among Democrats.

It’s a district that’s been kicked around for a while, rusting up before the rest of the Rust Belt did. It’s still trying desperately to shift away from manufacturing toward service and high-tech jobs. The poverty rate here in Northeast Ohio is 2.3 percent higher than the rest of the country.

Just drive through Youngstown. You can see it.

Ryan has been just what this district needs: a young, energetic Democrat.

Beyond purely superficial reasons why students should vote for Ryan on Nov. 2, he supports what we support.

He has voted in favor of efforts to make college more affordable, including sponsoring an amendment that would make it easier for certain institutions to set up textbook rental programs.

In 2007, Ryan co-sponsored a bill that would cut interest rates on student loans in half over five years.

And in 2009, he voted in favor of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act that increased the maximum Pell Grant award by $1,550.

In addition, Ryan has supported policies of President Barack Obama, such as the health care bill, which will allow us to stay on our parents’ health coverage until we’re 26. That could be crucial as students graduate into the uncertain and shifting economy.

Ryan is a shoo-in, but for what it’s worth, we strongly endorse him.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board