43
Reps. Johnson, Ryan each raised more than $300,000 between April and June
YOUNGSTOWN
U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson and Tim Ryan, both without opponents so far for the 2018 election, posted strong second quarters, each raising more than $300,000 toward re-election efforts.
Johnson, of Marietta, R-6th, raised $337,262 between April and June while Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, received $319,125 in contributions during the same time period, according to their latest Federal Election Commission campaign-finance reports.
Included in Johnson’s total is $30,000 he loaned his campaign June 30, the last day of the filing quarter, despite having nearly $1 million in his fund without it.
When asked to explain Johnson’s $30,000 loan, Mark Weaver, a campaign spokesman for the Republican congressman, said, “We have internal goals to reach for fundraising, and this was one of them. We have goals each month and each quarter. He’s loaned money [to his campaign] before.”
Weaver declined to disclose details of the internal goals, but this was among Johnson’s best campaign fundraising quarters even without the loan.
Johnson, who would seek a fifth two-year term in the U.S. House next year, spent $108,218 between April and June.
That included $33,672 to 814 Consulting LLC, an Alexandria, Va., campaign fundraising consulting firm; and $15,000 each to the National Republican Congressional Committee, the organization that leads the charge to get Republicans elected to the U.S. House, and Red Brick Strategies of Columbus, also a campaign fundraising consulting firm.
Johnson raised $528,774 and spent $301,737 during the first six months of this year. He had $1,014,878 in his campaign fund as of June 30 because of money he had in his account heading into 2017.
Johnson’s 18-county district includes all of Columbiana – the most-populous county in the 6th District – and eight townships in southern Mahoning.
Ryan, who would seek a ninth two-year term in Congress next year, spent $124,953 between April and June.
Among his biggest expenses were $23,500 to Veracity Media LLC of Washington, D.C., for digital strategy consulting expenses; $9,815 to Fraioli & Associates of Washington, D.C., for fundraising consulting fees and expenses; and $7,000 to Blue Point Group LLC, also of D.C., for a fundraising consulting fee.
Ryan raised $531,865 and spent $385,573 during the first six months of this year. Heading into the second quarter, Ryan had $179,454 in his campaign fund. With the amount he netted between April and June, Ryan more than doubled his campaign fund to $391,763 as of June 30.
His five-county district includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.