Businessman Bernie Moreno, running as a Republican for the U.S. Senate, raised more money from donors in the second quarter than any other GOP candidate seeking the office.

Moreno, a first-time candidate, said his campaign raised $2.25 million between April and June. That was done without accepting any money from corporate political action committees or from money given by the wealthy first-time candidate, he said.

Moreno’s fundraising was assisted by a steering committee with Ric Grenell, former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Germany, as its chairman.

“Conservatives across Ohio and across the country have overwhelmingly selected the outsider, Bernie Moreno,” Grenell said. “Career politicians are struggling to convince Ohioans that they can represent them in Washington, D.C.”

The Senate seat is open next year because incumbent Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, chose not to seek a third, six-year term.

Moreno officially announced his candidacy April 6 so this is the first quarterly report for his campaign.

Second-quarter reports must be filed by 11:59 p.m. tonight with the Federal Election Commission.

Moreno was the last of the Senate candidates who declared before July 1 to issue statements about how much they raised.

As was shown in the first quarter, the details in the reports are important.

Moreno’s $2.25 million is about 50 percent more than what Josh Mandel, a former two-time state treasurer and failed 2012 Senate candidate, said his campaign raised in the second quarter. Mandel’s campaign said it raised more than $1.5 million in the second quarter.

But that money was likely raised by his Team Josh 2022 PAC, as it was in the first quarter. Mandel’s campaign didn’t indicate the money was raised through the PAC in the first or second quarters.

Of the $1,355,549.89 in contributions between January and March to the Mandel PAC, his Senate campaign can use about $700,000 of it as it’s restricted.

Mandel’s Senate campaign in the first quarter raised only $32,910.81 from donors and reported a $130,202.29 loss for a “decrease in investment portfolio balance.” But it had a $4,238,339.24 surplus as of March 31 because of unused money raised for his 2012 campaign and an abandoned 2018 Senate race.

Former Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken’s campaign said she raised $1.4 million in the second quarter, all from donors. In the first quarter, she raised $1,130,395.07 from donors and loaned $1 million to her campaign. Before that report came out, Timken made no mention of the $1 million loan.

Businessman Mike Gibbons’ campaign said he raised $6 million in the second quarter with more than $5 million coming from him. Gibbons, who lost the 2018 Republican primary for a Senate seat, declared his candidacy April 13 for this race so, like Moreno, he didn’t file a first quarter report.

J.D. Vance, author and venture capitalist, announced his candidacy July 1, the first day of the third quarter, so he won’t file a second quarter report.

The campaign of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, the only declared Democrat for the Senate seat, raised $2.28 million in the second quarter — all from donors.

Moreno technically raised more than Ryan for the Senate race from donors in the second quarter because about $200,000 of Ryan’s money came what he raised for his House campaign.

Ryan, D-Howland, declared his candidacy for the Senate seat April 26 and he collected about $200,000 during those initial 25 days of the second quarter.

That money and the $1,216,187.04 he raised in the first quarter will be transferred to his Senate campaign.

Since Portman’s Jan. 25 announcement that he wouldn’t seek re-election, Ryan has been raising money for a Senate bid, but waited until April 26 to announce it.

dskolnick@vindy.com