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Valley campaign donations called ‘startling’
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State Rep. Ronald Gerberry, D-59
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LINDA BOLON * (D) Home: Columbiana Education: Graduate of Columbus University, Secretarial Science and Business Administration, graduate of East Palestine High School. Employment: State representative. Family: Husband, Thomas, daughters Brenda Wise and Leigh Ann Bolon-Bartels. Priority: Balancing the state budget and helping small businesses.
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Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-Youngstown. (AP Photo/Larry Phillips)
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Mark Okey
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State Rep. Thomas Letson of Warren, D-64th
YOUNGSTOWN
The five incumbent Democratic members of the Ohio House who represent the Mahoning Valley received $280,453 in campaign contributions over a four-month period — an amount one recipient called “startling.”
In comparison, the Republican challengers to the five incumbents raised only $49,956 — and that includes $30,000 contributed by Craig Newbold, the GOP candidate in the 1st Ohio House District.
“The money since I’ve gone back to the General Assembly [in 2007] is obscene,” said state Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th. “I don’t know if obscene is the right word; maybe startling. The amount of money is startling. It’s incredible.”
Of the five incumbents, Gerberry led the pack in raising money between June 5 and Oct. 13, considered the pre-general election time period, with $92,046.
The campaign-finance reports had to be filed by Thursday.
The other four incumbents who received parts of the $280,453 are:
State Rep. Linda Bolon of Columbiana, D-1st, with $68,251.
State Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, with $13,050.
State Rep. Mark Okey of Carrollton, D-61st, with $45,120.
State Rep. Tom Letson of Warren, D-64th, with $61,986.
The $280,453 in the five House districts is the most raised there for a pre-general-election filing in at least a decade.
The amount in 2008 was $175,998.
In 2006, when three of the candidates were running for this seat for the first time, the amount was $235,730. Of that amount, Okey raised $97,563, 41 percent of all the money raised for those five races, in what was considered one of the most competitive House seats at the time.
Most of the money raised by the five incumbents came from special-interest groups, many of them labor unions.
“The people who understand Democratic values and what it has meant to have Democrats in a position of authority have stepped up to the plate [financially] and asked us to continue” what we’re doing, Letson said. “This is not quid pro quo by any stretch of the imagination.”
Republican Albert J. Haberstroh Jr. of Southington, who is challenging Letson in the general election, said the amount of money raised for state legislative seats is “way out of control.”
Haberstroh raised $1,955 between June 5 and Oct. 13.
“The amount of money spent on elections is bizarre,” he said. “There are 1 million better things to spend money on. I’ve had a lot of people offer to contribute to my campaign.”
But, Haberstroh said, he’s declined.
The money from organized labor is described by Hagan as “the sleeping giant who has awakened and told us to get the job done.”
But almost as quickly as the Valley representatives received the money, they’ve given a lot of it back to the Ohio House Democratic Caucus.
The caucus uses the money to help Democratic House members and candidates in tight races.
“As soon as we get our God-blessed money, the speaker [Armond Budish] says for us to give the caucus the money,” Hagan quipped.
Hagan acknowledged he doesn’t have much opposition with Republican Daniel R. Thimons of Struthers, who raised no money in this reporting period.
“The speaker said, ‘I’m asking all my Democratic colleagues to give us as much as you possibly can to hold the majority,’” Hagan said.
For Hagan, that was a $10,000 contribution to the caucus.
Bolon, the assistant majority whip [the No. 4 position in House leadership] led the Valley contingent with a $100,000 contribution to the caucus.
Though Bolon raised $68,251 in the pre-general-election period, she had $105,355 in her campaign fund before this filing period.
The other House seat representing the Valley is the 65th District.
State Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, a Democrat, wasn’t able to run for re-election this year because of the state’s term-limit law.
The amount of money raised by the candidates looking to succeed her is small in comparison to the incumbents.
Democrat Sean J. O’Brien of Brookfield raised $10,975, Republican Geno Capone of Hubbard raised $4,070, and Werner Lange of Newton Falls, an independent, raised $1,540 between June 5 and Oct. 13.