Ryan Elijah Biography, Age, Education, Personal Life, Philanthropy, Fort Wayne
A Fort Wayne news anchor is running for the 3rd District congressional seat recently vacated by Mark Souder, who resigned May 14 after admitting an extra-marital affair.
Candidate Ryan Elijah said he views himself as a public servant, whether in Washington or in front of a camera. A Fort Wayne native, Elijah graduated from Blackhawk Christian School in 1990. He recently was elected to the school’s board of trustees.
Elijah ventured into politics during his senior year of high school, when he worked on the congressional campaign for Republican Rick Hawks.
Elijah went on to earn a political science degree from Anderson University and then took a news job in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville mayor-appointed Elijah to the mayor’s council. When Elijah returned to Fort Wayne, the Jacksonville Times-Union wrote a farewell article and noted that Elijah had a goal of running for public office. He held off entering politics because of his young family. He and his wife, Tasha, have two sons, now ages 11 and 7.
Elijah has worked for News Channel 21 for more than a decade and currently is on a leave of absence at the news station. He did not enter the race in time for the primary election because he said, he would have broken the terms of his work contract. He did not want to start his campaign with broken promises.
“I’m running as a conservative Christian,” Elijah said. “Being conservative doesn’t mean you don’t listen to others. … People want someone who is going to stand up for their values.”
Elijah said he has not been involved with any political groups due to the nature of his work, but he has interviewed many politicians, business owners, and people.
Two years ago, Elijah started “In Your Corner,” a segment featuring consumer problems, on News Channel 21. Elijah said he deals mainly with federal issues during the segment.
“One stood out to me. An Angola woman waited over two years to receive disability benefits. She was going to lose her home … her whole life,” Elijah said. “Nothing happened with one phone call. … Several weeks later, we got a phone call from her and she said, ‘We’re getting our benefits.’”
