Ryan gears up campaign after GOP targets his race; Johnson pads election coffers

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan used the fact that national Republicans are targeting his seat as part of a near-record campaign fundraising strategy during the first three months of the year, but he spent almost as much as he raised.

Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, collected $162,825 in campaign contributions between January and March as part of his 2018 re-election effort, according to a report he filed with the Federal Election Commission.

But during the first three months of this year, Ryan spent $150,552 – the most he’s ever spent for a first quarter, the newspaper’s analysis shows.

That left Ryan with a net gain of only $12,273 for the first three months of the year. That’s among his poorest net gains for a first quarter dating back to when he first ran for Congress in 2002.

Despite Ryan’s receiving 68 percent of the vote in last November’s election while winning his eighth two-year term in the U.S. House, the National Republican Congressional Campaign, the GOP House main campaign and fundraising group, listed his district in February among 36 held by Democrats that it is targeting in the 2018 election.

Republicans haven’t announced a candidate to take on Ryan next year.

Ryan’s campaign sent out a number of emails to donors pointing to him being targeted by the NRCC, including one the day after the list came out that read: “D.C. Republicans have decided they know what’s best for Ohioans and put a target on Tim’s back. They will stop at nothing to replace Tim with an extremist Republican who will be another rubber stamp for President [Donald] Trump’s agenda.”

Zetts said:

Meanwhile, in the 6th District, four-term incumbent Rep. Bill Johnson, a Marietta Republican, raised more and spent less than Ryan did in the first quarter.

Johnson received $198,445 and spent $79,555 during the first three months of the year.

The district is considered a safe Republican seat with Johnson getting 71 percent and Trump receiving 69 percent of the vote in last November’s election.

Johnson, who also doesn’t have an announced opponent for 2018, had $803,972 in his campaign fund as of March 31.

Read more about the repesentativesin Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.