Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and his running mate Lt. Gov. Jon Husted raised more than $3 million in the first half of 2021 – bringing in more donations than both Democrats vying to unseat them, combined.
The incumbents, with $6.6 million on hand and few expenses, boast financial firepower that could be difficult to beat in the primary or the general election. DeWine previously loaned his campaign $4 million, which has not been repaid.
"Our campaign is in a strong position heading into next November," campaign manager Brenton Temple said. "We appreciate the groundswell of support from all over Ohio."
The Ohio Republican Party donated $500,000 to DeWine-Husted's campaign. Among DeWine's other top contributors were political action committees for American Electric Power and Anheuser-Busch and former U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, a Republican.
Their haul stood in contrast to former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, a Republican who launched a bid to unseat DeWine on June 9. He raised less than $22,000 in his first month on the trail and his mother was among his top donors.
Renacci also loaned his campaign $1 million and has about $1 million on hand. Renacci said he didn't hire a fundraiser until July, after the campaign filing deadline.
"This campaign will be fully funded and fully staffed by Sept. 1 as we run a campaign to make Ohio first again," he said.
Renacci had a small window to raise money, but the small haul won't instill confidence from Republicans looking for an alternative to DeWine. In his 2018 bid for U.S. Senate, Renacci promised to tap into his personal wealth to fuel his campaign but ultimately didn't spend that money.
Canal Winchester farmer Joe Blystone, who has attracted a following among anti-DeWine Republicans, raised nearly $259,000 and has almost $135,000 on hand.
Democratic challengers: Whaley outraises Cranley
On the Democratic side, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley outraised Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, who has not yet officially launched a gubernatorial campaign.
Whaley, who launched her campaign on April 19, raised $1.64 million through June 30 – a figure that exceeded the 2017 Democratic gubernatorial candidates' total. The campaign has $1.35 million cash on hand.
Whaley touted contributions from all 88 counties and 6,600 different donors. Whaley also received contributions from EMILY's List, Service Employees International Union, Machinists and unions representing government workers. Unions have long been the lifeblood of many Democratic campaigns and Whaley's benefitting from their backing.
"It’s clear Ohioans are ready for a change and, with this historic fundraising haul we’ll be able to continue to take Nan’s message to all of Ohio’s 88 counties," Whaley campaign manager John Hagner said in a release.
Cranley, raised nearly $1.07 million in the first half of 2021. After spending $204,000, the campaign had $1.3 million on hand. Cranley and his wife each contributed the maximum $13,700 to his campaign.
The Cincinnati mayor launched a campaign committee in February 2020. He's expected to kick off his gubernatorial bid in August.
Both candidates raised significantly more than the 2017 field, which was hampered by Democratic donors awaiting former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray's entrance into the race. The fundraising efforts are an early test for candidates trying to prove their viability as statewide contenders.
House Democrats outraise GOP fund
House Republicans reported a surprisingly low fundraising number for the first months of 2021: $50,000 raised and about $46,000 on hand. House Republicans' campaign staff say that number is artificially low because lawmakers haven't contributed to the pot yet.
However, that meant House Democrats outraised them – an unlikely feat for the super-minority. House Democrats raised about $334,000 and had $274,000 on hand.
In 2020, House Republicans relied on the Ohio Republican Party to boost their fundraising after former House Speaker Larry Householder was ousted from his leadership role. With that assistance, new Speaker Bob Cupp easily outraised Democrats, adding members to their number last year.
However, the new fundraising arm, called the Ohio House Republican Alliance, raised $50,000 in the first half of 2021, which included $10,000 from Cupp's campaign and $20,000 from American Electric Power's political action committee.
On the Senate side, Republicans easily outraised Democrats with $2.5 million raised compared to $137,600.
Other statewide races
Secretary of State: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, raised nearly $440,000 for his reelection bid and has nearly $1.1 million on hand.
Several Democrats are considering a challenge to LaRose, but only one – Hamilton County's Chelsea Clark – has announced a bid. Clark won't need to file a campaign finance report until January because she entered the race in July.
Treasurer: Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, a Republican, raised $158,000 and had $624,000 on hand. No Democrat has announced a bid to challenge him yet.
Attorney General: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, reported raising nearly $321,000 and had $1.7 million on hand. No Democrat has announced a bid in this race either.
Auditor: Ohio Auditor KeithFaber, a Republican, raised nearly $216,000 and had about $718,000 on hand. No Democratic challenger has emerged yet.
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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