U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, the lone Democrat in the Senate race, and businessman Bernie Moreno, one of five declared Republicans for the seat, raised the most money from donors in the second quarter while two other Republicans — Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons — each have more than $5 million in their campaign accounts.

And most of the candidates raised money in a somewhat unique manner.

It’s debatable whether Ryan, D-Howland, or Moreno, a first-time candidate, raised the most money in the second quarter, between April and June.

Ryan officially declared his candidacy for the Senate on April 26, but had been raising money for the seat since U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park, announced Jan. 25 that he wouldn’t seek re-election.

In the second quarter, Ryan’s Senate campaign raised $2,056,008.31.

His House campaign also transferred $1,056,000 to the Senate fund in the second quarter including $202,295 raised in April before his candidate declaration.

With the $202,295 added, Ryan raised $2,258,303.31 between April and June.

Ryan raised $1,033,645.50 in his House fund in the year’s first quarter. After the transfer and other expenses, Ryan’s House fund has $5,366.76 in it on June 30.

Including the transfer, Ryan’s Senate fund reported $3,112,008.31 in money raised for the second quarter. Ryan’s campaign spent $540,002.44 during the quarter and had $2,572,005.87 in it as of June 30.

Not including the money from the first quarter transfer, Ryan’s fundraising was the most ever for any Democratic challenger for Senate in Ohio in the second quarter in a non-elected year.

MORENO AND GIBBONS

Moreno raised $2,249,068.52 in the second quarter. It was his first Senate finance report as he didn’t officially declare for the seat until April 6.

Moreno also had to refund the most money of any of the Senate candidates, $35,200, primarily because donors exceeded contribution limits.

Moreno spent $608,366.31 in the second quarter and had $1,640,702.21 in his campaign fund as of June 30.

Gibbons, a businessman who unsuccessfully ran for a 2018 Senate seat, collected, by far, the most money of any candidate seeking the Senate seat because he gave $5.67 million to his campaign in the second quarter.

Gibbons gave $50,000 on May 5, $120,000 on June 8 and $5.5 million on June, 30, which was the last day of the second quarter.

His campaign raised $532,786.04 from donors.

Gibbons declared his candidacy April 13. He filed a first quarter report showing he had $122.15 in his account from his unsuccessful 2018 race.

After spending $339,408.17 in the second quarter, Gibbons had $5,863,500.02 in his campaign fund as of June 30.

MORE COMPLICATED

J.D. Vance, author and venture capitalist, announced July 1 he was running as a Republican for the Senate seat. That’s why he didn’t file a second quarter report.

But PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel has given $10 million to Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC that is backing Vance.

Things get more complicated with the two other Republicans who filed second quarter reports — Mandel, a former state treasurer, and Jane Timken, a former Ohio Republican Party chairwoman — because they also have joint fundraising committees.

In the case of Mandel, it’s very complicated.

Mandel is raising most of his money through his Team Josh joint fundraising that he shares with the Shelby County Republican Party.

Team Josh raised $1,291,197.28 in the second quarter, but Mandel’s Senate fund can only get about two-thirds of that amount because of federal restrictions. That’s about $865,000.

His Senate fund reported collecting $975,896.10 in the second quarter, but $764,938.05 of that came from a transfer of money Team Josh raised in the first quarter. Mandel’s Senate fund actually raised $210,958.05 from donors in the second quarter.

Between his Senate fund and Team Josh, Mandel raised $1,502,224.83.

Team Josh had $723,758.14 in it as of June 30 after expenses.

Mandel’s Senate account is flush with cash — a $5,031,137.03 surplus as of June 30 — primarily because of money left over from his unsuccessful 2012 Senate campaign and an abandoned 2018 bid.

During the second quarter, Mandel’s Senate fund spent $183,098.31 with $96,946.88 going to the IRS to pay taxes.

The IRS payment is taxes on interest and investments.

In the first quarter, Mandel’s campaign reported a $130,202.29 loss for a “decrease in investment portfolio balance.”

Also in the first quarter, Team Josh raised $1,355,549.89 while his Senate campaign lost $94,241.57.

JANE TIMKEN

Timken, also a first-time candidate, received $1,142,226.47 from donors in the second quarter to her Senate campaign fund and $230,000 to the Timken Victory Committee, a joint fundraising committee she shares with the Stark County Republican Party. Like Mandel, Timken’s Senate fund can use about two-thirds of the money raised by the joint committee.

Between the two committees, Timken raised $1,372,226.47 in the second quarter.

In the first quarter, Timken’s Senate fund raised $1,130,395.07 from donors and she loaned $1 million to her campaign.

After expenses, Timken’s Senate fund had $2,139,273.03 in it as of June 30.

dskolnick@vindy.com