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Final push of campaign spending

Ryan raised four times the money challenger Hagan did in election’s last days

In the final 20 days of this past election, the campaign of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan raised four times the amount of money his Republican challenger collected on his way to victory.

Ryan’s post-general election report shows the Howland Democrat raised $325,601.28. The time period goes from Oct. 15 to Nov. 23, but Ryan’s report shows he raised all but $250 of it by the Nov. 3 election.

Ryan successfully won a 10th two-year term for the 13th Congressional District seat as he defeated Republican Christina Hagan, a former state House member from Marlboro Township, by 7.55 percent. It was Ryan’s closest election in his congressional career.

Hagan raised all of the $79,033.21 in the post-general election period before the Nov. 3 election.

Hagan raised $72,783.21 from individuals and $6,250 from political action committees.

In comparison, Ryan received $201,501.28 from individuals and $124,100 from PACs in the post-general period.

Among the PACs that gave the maximum $5,000 contributions to Ryan’s campaign were those representing the National Automobile Dealers Association, General Motors, one run by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, and Ryan’s own America 2.0 PAC.

Ryan spent $582,340.77 during the post-general period with the biggest expense being $302,728 to CounterPoint Messaging LLC of Nashville, Tenn., for commercials. Since July, Ryan’s campaign paid $684,110 to CounterPoint for media advertising.

A&G Digital of Ann Arbor, Mich., was paid $79,102.53 for digital consulting and services.

Ryan’s campaign also paid $89,949.16 to First Class Campaigns of Cuyahoga Falls in the post-general period for printing and postage as well as a $2,500 bonus that was part of the company’s contract, according to Ryan’s report.

First Class wasn’t the only one to receive bonuses from Ryan’s campaign.

Michael Morley, his campaign manager, received a $5,000 bonus while Christopher Anderson, who worked on Ryan’s campaign, got $1,500; Precision Media and Public Relations of Columbus, whose head, Dennis Willard, was Ryan’s campaign communications director, received $2,000; and Fraioli & Associates of Washington, D.C., Ryan’s longtime fundraising consultant, got a $1,000 bonus.

For the entire campaign, Ryan raised $1,953,109 and spent $2,063,751 — both records for him.

As of Nov. 23, Ryan’s campaign had only $25,485.82 in the account. Even though he spent more than he raised during the campaign, Ryan had a surplus in his fund before this campaign.

In a Friday email, Ryan acknowledged that the end of the year is usually a major fundraising deadline for his campaign but instead asked supporters to donate to food banks in the state.

Hagan spent $296,219.35 in the post-general period with her biggest expense being $137,572.58 to Strategic Media Placement of Delaware, Ohio, for media advertising and robocalls. Since July, Hagan’s campaign paid $310,572.58 to Strategic Media.

Her campaign also gave $80,000 to the Ohio Republican Party’s central and executive committee, listing it as a “donation.” She did the same thing in early October, giving the committee $40,000. Those expenditures are usually designed for the party to help campaigns through advertising or campaign mail.

Hagan also paid $13,640 to Right Point Direct of Washington, D.C., for a poll. She previously listed a $24,300 payment to the company in early October for a poll.

Overall, Hagan raised $871,622.95 and spent $819,310.90 for this campaign.

Hagan’s campaign had $43,848.10 left in the account as of Nov. 23, which included a small amount she carried over from a failed 2018 effort for a different congressional seat.

The Ohio Freedom Fund, an outside special interest group that was backing Hagan and opposing Ryan, spent only $12,500 to produce and air commercials during the post-general period, paying the money on Oct. 26 to Ring Limited, a Dublin company, for the work. The $12,500 came from Leo J. Hawk of Lima, a retired business executive who donates to Republicans.

The Ohio Freedom Fund had spent $150,000 in early September for commercials backing Hagan and against Ryan, but didn’t spend any more until the relatively small buy with Hawk’s money.

The group had spent $97,500 during the Republican primary to help Hagan and target Louis G. Lyras of Campbell, who finished a distant second in that race.

The five-county 13th District includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

6TH DISTRICT

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, raised $97,606.33 in the post-general period with $67,700 from PACs and the rest from individuals.

PACs providing $5,000 maximum contributions were the National Automobile Dealers Association and one run by ex-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Johnson spent $108,601.02 in the period with $57,000 going to Communications Counsel of Columbus to purchase advertising and media consulting and a $27,000 contribution to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

For the entire campaign, Johnson, who starts his sixth two-year term in January, raised $1,859,870 and spent $1,800,298.74. Including money he carried over from previous campaigns, Johnson had $996,888.10 in his campaign fund as of Nov. 23.

Johnson defeated Democrat Shawna Roberts of Belmont by 48.8 percent in the most lopsided victory for an Ohio Republican member of the House in this past election. Johnson beat Roberts by 38.6 percent two years ago.

Roberts didn’t file any campaign finance reports this year with the Federal Election Commission, which has sent her letters asking her to explain why. Roberts issued a statement in mid-October that she stopped campaigning because her husband lost his job and they didn’t have running water at their home. She added she realized she had no chance of winning.

The 18-county 6th District includes all of Columbiana County and southern Mahoning County.

14TH DISTRICT

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, received $125,302.64 in contributions during the post-general period with $78,400 from PACs and the rest from individuals.

PACs giving the campaign the $5,000 maximum contribution during that time including the International Association of Firefighters, the National Automotive Dealers Association and one representing Realtors.

Joyce spent $396,727.57 in the period with $326,010 going to FP1 Strategies of Arlington, Va., for video production and media advertising. Since July, Joyce’s campaign has paid $1,051,469.54 to FP1 for such work.

Joyce also gave a $15,500 contribution to the Ohio Republican Party during the post-election period. Since July, his campaign has given $67,317.45 to the party.

Joyce, who was elected to his fifth two-year term last month, raised $2,957,939.33 and spent $2,482,052.78 on his latest campaign.

With money carried over from previous campaigns, Joyce had $732,241.73 in his fund as of Nov. 23.

He defeated Democrat Hillary O’Connor Mueri of Painesville by 20.2 percent.

During the post-general period Mueri raised $39,965.85 — all of it from individuals except for $2,000 from a PAC — and spent $85,070.89.

Her biggest expense was $43,165 to Ethica of Garden City, N.Y., to buy media commercials.

Overall, Mueri raised $579,901.41 and spent $550,628.44 on the campaign.

The seven-county 14th District includes communities in northern Trumbull County.

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