Incumbents hold edge in fundraising

Some candidates have not filed their reports yet.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Incumbents looking to keep their seats in Congress continued to hold a significant fund-raising edge over their challengers, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday.

Republican congressman Steve Chabot of Cincinnati posted more than $1 million in the bank compared with $418,662 for Democratic challenger Steve Driehaus, a state representative, the fund-raising totals for 2007 showed.

U.S. Rep. Zack Space, a Democrat whose race in southeast Ohio has been targeted by Republicans, reported raising $1.1 million during the year and having nearly $756,000 on hand. That compared with $93,042 raised by former state agriculture director Fred Dailey, one of Space’s Republican rivals. Other GOP candidates had not filed as of late Thursday.

In Cleveland, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s opponents in the March 4 Democratic primary reported varying amounts. Former U.N. worker Barbara Anne Ferris led fundraising for the year with $33,964 and spent all but $6,547 of it. North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady raised $28,000 and still had most of it on hand. Others, including Cleveland city councilman Joe Cimperman, had not yet reported.

Kucinich had not filed as of late Thursday. His last reporting showed only about $33,000 in the bank.

U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, a Republican from Loveland, reported about $370,000 in contributions this cycle but had only $125,000 banked. Democrat Steve Black, a Cincinnati lawyer, had raised about $322,000 as of Dec. 31.

In northeast Ohio, where GOP Congressman Ralph Regula chose not to seek re-election, Republican state Sen. Kirk Schuring of Canton had raised about $194,000. His chief Democratic opponent, state Sen. John Boccieri, had not yet reported late Thursday.

Republican state Sen. Steve Austria of suburban Dayton reported $335,000 in the bank in his campaign to replace retiring GOP congressman David Hobson — more than 10 times that of any of his opponents who had reported late Thursday.

U.S. Rep Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a Democrat from Cleveland, raised about $114,000. Tubbs Jones has been a frequent guest of presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton on the campaign trail. Republican opponent Thomas Pekarek hadn’t yet posted his totals.

In state races, Ohio House Republicans outpaced their Senate counterparts and rival Democratic caucuses in 2007 fundraising, collecting roughly $1.45 million in contributions. House Republicans have a little over $3 million in cash on hand going into the 2008 election.