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Of Valleys’ 5 Congress members, Ryan has lowest campaign fund
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U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-17)
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Charlie Wilson
YOUNGSTOWN — Among the five U.S. House members representing the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, Tim Ryan’s congressional campaign was the only one to spend more money than it raised last year and ended 2009 with the least amount of money on hand.
In 2009, the campaign of Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, raised $456,166, but spent $540,567.
Campaign finance reports for members of Congress and challengers who’ve raised at least $5,000 had to be filed by Sunday with the Federal Election Commission. The latest filing was for the period between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
As he did in every quarter but the one from July 1 to Sept. 30, Ryan spent more money in the last quarter of 2009 than he raised. Ryan raised $73,401 and spent $105,799 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
Because of money his campaign carried over from previous years, Ryan ended 2009 with a cash surplus of $254,009 — the smallest amount of the five area members of Congress.
Ryan is expected to face challenges in the Democratic primary and in the general election. Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call, publications and Web sites that cover Capitol Hill, consider Ryan to be in a “safe Democratic seat.”
Over the past year, political action committees contributed $280,600 to Ryan, 62 percent of the money he raised.
The only Ryan challenger to file a report with the FEC is Republican M.E. “Bing” Henderson, a doctor from Tallmadge. Henderson also has filed nominating petitions with the Trumbull County Board of Elections to run in the Republican primary.
Henderson raised $18,368 last year with $2,405 coming from him. Henderson had $703 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31.
Bill Johnson of Poland, who’s considering a run as a Republican in the 17th District, said he raised more than $107,000 in the last three months of the year for his congressional exploratory committee.
As long as a person doesn’t use more than $5,000 for campaign- related activities, those with exploratory committees don’t have to file a finance report with the FEC, an agency spokesman said. Once that person becomes a candidate, documentation detailing the money raised and spent by an exploratory committee must be turned over to the FEC, the spokesman said.
The 17th District takes in portions of Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage and Summit counties.
U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th, raised and spent less than Ryan in 2009, but because of money from previous years, he ended 2009 with a $439,603 surplus.
Wilson raised $352,397 and spent $197,550 last year. That included receiving $76,749 in contributions and $28,485 in expenses in the final quarter of last year.
If ex-U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. is to run for Congress, his supporters say he is leaning toward the 6th District. The filing deadline to run for Congress in Ohio is Feb. 18.
The 6th District takes in 12 counties along the eastern portion of the state including all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County.
At this point, Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call consider Wilson to be in a “safe Democratic” seat.
Wilson also relied heavily on PACs to fund his campaign.
PACs gave $269,500 to Wilson last year, 76 percent of the money he raised.
David Allen, a Boardman veterinarian and Wilson’s Republican challenger, raised $27,070 with $20,065 coming from him in 2009. After expenses, Allen had $2,682 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31.
U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette of Bainbridge, R-14th, raised $659,202 and spent $433,930 last year. LaTourette had $447,048 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31. PAC contributions made up 58 percent of the money he raised in 2009.
LaTourette’s district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County. No one has filed as a candidate with the FEC to challenge him. Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call consider his seat to be “safe Republican.”
In Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire of McCandless, Pa., D-4th, raised $1,280,181 and spent $387,893 in 2009, and ended the year with $979,141 in his campaign fund. PACs made up 48 percent of the money Altmire raised last year.
Republican Keith J. Rothfus, an Allegheny County attorney, is the only declared challenger to Altmire. Rothfus raised $59,200 — with $25,000 coming from him — and spent $22,331 on his campaign last year. As of Dec. 31, Rothfus had $36,869 in his fund.
Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call consider Altmire’s district to be “likely Democratic,” a step below “safe.”
That district includes all of Lawrence County and a portion of Mercer County.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper of Erie, D-3rd, raised $1,000,078, the most money last year among area members of Congress. She spent $366,784 in 2009 and finished last year with $683,891 in her campaign fund. PACs contributed 66 percent of the amount she raised last year.
There are three Republicans who filed campaign finance reports for 2009 to challenge Dahlkemper this year. The three Republicans are either largely or entirely self-funded.
Congressional Quarterly lists the district as “likely Democratic,” and Roll Call states it “leans Democratic,” one step away from being a “toss-up.”
That district includes a portion of Mercer County.
skolnick@vindy.com