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Rep. Bill Johnson has raised more than $500,000 toward his re-election effort
YOUNGSTOWN
Without an opponent so far, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson has raised $532,917 toward his re-election bid – likely making potential challengers think twice about getting in the race.
Of that amount, Johnson, of Marietta, R-6th, collected $302,878 between April and June, according to his latest Federal Election Commission campaign-finance filing.
About two-thirds of the money in the second quarter came from political action committees, including $5,000 each from the American Association of Clinical Urologists, Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee, Laborers’ International Union of North America, National Cable & Telecommunications Association and United Services Automobile Association. Also, 33 other PACs contributed at least $2,500 in the last quarter to the campaign of Johnson, who will seek his fourth two-year term in the U.S. House next year.
Johnson’s campaign spent $87,616 spent in the second quarter, including repaying a $6,000 loan April 24 that he gave his campaign March 28.
Including money Johnson carried over from 2014, he had $716,069 in his campaign fund as of June 30.
State Sen. Lou Gentile of Steubenville, D-30th, is considering a challenge to Johnson in next year’s congressional race but hasn’t made a final decision.
The 18-county 6th District includes all of Columbiana – the most-populous county in the district – and eight townships in Mahoning.
In the 13th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Howland, also doesn’t have a challenger at this time.
Ryan has raised $196,939 toward his re-election bid next year for his eighth two-year term, including $88,474 between April and June.
About 40 percent of the money in the second quarter came from PACs. Ryan received $2,500 from four PACs: United Transportation Union, Fifth Third Bankcorp, International Longshoremen’s Association and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Good Government Fund. He also received $5,400 maximum donations from four people, none of who live in the five-county 13th District that includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Ryan spent more money, $95,744, than he raised, $88,474, in the second quarter.
Because of money he already had in his account, Ryan’s campaign had $351,115 as of June 30.
Among Ryan’s expenses in the second quarter is $12,619 for travel to San Francisco and New York City. But Michael Zetts, a Ryan spokesman, said those expenses were for trips the congressman took during the first quarter.
The credit-card bills for those trips came due in April and May, Zetts said.
Ryan reported about $5,000 in travel expenses on his first-quarter report.
Ryan’s travel expenses paid in the second quarter include $1,749 for a hotel stay at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis and $1,105 to Uber for 33 taxi fares while in San Francisco. Uber is a mobile app that provides taxi service.
Ryan also paid $9,898 in the second quarter to Fraioli & Associates, a Washington, D.C. firm that serves as his fundraising consultant.