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Rep. Ryan spends more than he raised
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U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles
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Charlie Wilson
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U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (D-4th)
Ryan gave $10,000 to the Ohio Democratic Party and $2,000 to a Senate candidate.
YOUNGSTOWN — Among the five U.S. House members who represent the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is the only one to spend more campaign money than he raised during the first three months of the year.
Ryan of Niles, D-17th, raised $88,702 and spent $125,149 from January to March, according to campaign finance reports filed recently with the Federal Election Commission.
Because the fund had $271,517 in it as of Dec. 31, Ryan’s congressional campaign committee had $235,070 on hand as of March 31.
Besides a $500 contribution from Paul N. Olivier of Boardman, a public relations specialist for Humility of Mary Health Partners, the rest of the money raised by Ryan in the first quarter came from individuals and political action committees from outside the Mahoning Valley.
Ryan, whose congressional district includes portions of Mahoning and Trumbull counties, is considering whether to remain in the U.S. House or run as Gov. Ted Strickland’s lieutenant governor. If he doesn’t seek re-election, he cannot transfer money out of his federal campaign fund to a state fund.
Ryan contributed $10,000 to the Ohio Democratic Party and $2,000 to Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Ryan also paid $21,750 for fund-raising consulting fees: $12,000 to Sarah Willhelm Greathouse, co-owner of In It To Win It in Dayton; and $9,750 to Fraioli & Associates of Washington, D.C.
The congressman also spent $5,132 for a fundraiser during boxer Kelly Pavlik’s Feb. 21 middleweight title defense at the Chevrolet Centre.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, raised $66,197 and spent $30,607 during the first three months of the year.
Of the amount Wilson raised, only $900 came from Valley residents. That includes $250 contributions from Atty. David Betras, a candidate for Mahoning County Democratic chairman, and Angee Shaker of Vienna, a vice president at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and former WYTV television news anchor.
Including money he carried over from 2008, Wilson had $289,613 in his campaign fund as of March 31.
Wilson’s largest expenses were to pay consulting firms to raise money for his campaign: $6,000 to Renee Schaeffer and $5,000 to Erickson & Co. Inc., political consultants based in Washington, D.C.
Wilson’s 12-county district includes all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County.
U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette of Bainbridge, R-14th, raised $134,345 and spent $57,185 during the first three months of the year. Including money he carried over from 2008, LaTourette had $268,051in his campaign fund as of March 31.
LaTourette’s district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County.
In Pennsylvania, U.S. Reps. Kathy Dahlkemper of Erie, D-3rd, and Jason Altmire of McCandless, D-4th, significantly increased the amount of money they had in their campaign funds during the year’s first three months.
Dahlkemper, a House freshman whose district includes a portion of Mercer County, started the year with $11,396.66 in her account. She raised $256,243 and spent $26,354 between January and March, ending the reporting period with $241,286 in her fund.
Altmire, whose district includes all of Lawrence County and a portion of Mercer County, entered 2009 with $13,520 in his campaign fund.
Altmire, starting his second term in the House, raised $261,860 and spent $52,938.12 during the year’s first three months, leaving his fund with a $222,442 balance, as of March 31.
Dahlkemper and Altmire relied heavily on political action committees to build up the money in their funds. PACs contributed $164,550 to Dahlkemper and $137,500 to Altmire.
skolnick@vindy.com