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6th District incumbent spends more in months than Dem challenger overall
YOUNGSTOWN
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-6th, spent more money for campaign commercials on television, radio and on the Internet in the past couple of months than Jennifer Garrison, his Democratic challenger, has raised for her entire campaign.
The monetary difference between the two-term incumbent and Garrison, both from Marietta, remains wide. Johnson has raised more than three times the amount of money than his challenger overall in this race.
Between July and September, Johnson’s campaign raised $297,107 to $55,011 for Garrison, according to the latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Overall, Johnson has raised $2,069,046 for his re-election campaign to $626,075 for Garrison.
Johnson spent $1,073,292 between July and September with $942,000 going to Communications Counsel Inc. of Columbus for TV, radio and Internet commercials. Even with that expenditure, Johnson’s campaign had $430,107 left in its account as of Sept. 30.
Garrison spent $196,082 between July and September, the year’s third quarter. Her major expenditures between July and September included $32,131 to an Arlington, Va., firm for direct mail; $40,000 to a Philadelphia company for media production; and a $22,400 consulting fee to a company in Simpsonville, Ky.
She had $89,709 left in her campaign fund as of Sept. 30.
Garrison has given $138,722 of her own money to her campaign in loans and contributions, though she gave only $1,419 of it in the third quarter. That is 22 percent of the total amount of money raised by her congressional campaign.
In comparison, Johnson has given $13,332 of his own money to his campaign.
Johnson has spent $1,791,954 on this campaign, which includes money he had left from previous campaigns. Garrison has spent $536,366.
Johnson has been advertising on television in the Mahoning Valley for about six weeks while Garrison has been on TV since Tuesday.
During her recent endorsement interview with The Vindicator, Garrison said, “I am hopeful that this is an election where you don’t have to raise as much money as the other side.”
Mark Riddle, a Garrison campaign adviser, said Thursday, “There’s no question the environment in Ohio with regards to fundraising has been tough” and more difficult against an incumbent.
Because of finances, Garrison’s campaign “decided to wait until now to advertise,” Riddle said. “We’re targeting undecided voters in the final weeks. We have the resources to do that.”
Sarah Poulton, Johnson’s campaign manager, said, “We’re pleased that so many people are supporting Bill Johnson through their donations and, even more importantly, their vote. While Bill is in Washington responding to the Ebola crisis, we continue to work hard here in the district to remind people of his hard work on their behalf.”
The 18-county 6th Congressional District includes all of Columbiana County and eight townships in Mahoning County.
In the 13th District, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Howland, raised $206,565 between July and September, and $989,592 overall for his re-election effort.
Ryan, seeking his seventh two-year term in the U.S. House, spent $133,372 in the third quarter and $714,991 overall in this campaign.
As of Sept. 30, he had $461,301 in his campaign account, which includes money he carried over from previous races.
Thomas Pekarek of Cleveland, his Republican opponent in the Nov. 4 election, has yet to file a report with the FEC.
The five-county 13th District includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.