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The campaigns funds of Reps. Bill Johnson and Tim Ryan are flush with cash
YOUNGSTOWN
U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson has $1.28 million in his campaign account, and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is sitting on $496,121 while none of their challengers has filed finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.
Ryan of Howland, D-13th, collected $297,195 in campaign contributions and spent $128,395 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, according to his latest FEC filing.
Among the political action committees giving Ryan’s campaign $5,000 donations in the last quarter of 2017 were the Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, American Resort Development Association Coalition PAC, and Giffords PAC, all of Washington, D.C., and United Pilots PAC of Rosemont, Ill.
Ryan’s major expenditures during the fourth quarter of last year were $29,000 to Veracity LLC of Washington, D.C., an online strategy consulting firm, and $4,578 to the failed Senate campaign of Ted Strickland for his email list.
Ryan also followed through on a statement he made Oct. 6 to donate $19,996 he received from the National Rifle Association between 2002 and 2012 – the sixth most in the Ohio delegation from 1998 to the present – to three gun-safety organizations. Ryan gave the money because he was frustrated with the gun organization’s response to the mass shooting at a country music concert in Las Vegas that left 58 dead and hundreds injured. Ryan gave the money to the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and Americans for Responsible Solutions. The latter received $6,666 while the other two each received $6,665 on Oct. 6, according to Ryan’s campaign report.
Including money he carried over from previous campaigns, Ryan had $496,121 in his fund as of Dec. 31.
Ryan is seeking his ninth two-year term in Congress. The five-county 13th District includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
John Stephen Luchansky of Boardman has filed again to run as a Democrat against Ryan. Chris DePizzo, a Youngstown native who lives in Cuyahoga Falls, has announced he’s running as a Republican in the 13th Congressional District race.
Tuesday is the filing deadline for the primary election.
Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, received $134,083 in campaign contributions and spent $68,200 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
Including money he had from previous campaigns, Johnson had $1,284,059 in his fund as of Dec. 31.
Johnson’s major contributors last quarter were $5,000 from the Carpenters Legislative Improvement Committee United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of Washington, D.C., and $3,000 from Air Methods Corp. PAC of Denver.
His largest expenditures between October and December were to fundraising consulting firms: $15,000 to Red Brick Strategies of Columbus; $6,889 to 814 Consulting LLC of Alexandria, Va.; and $5,000 to the Lukens Co. of Arlington, Va.
Johnson is seeking his fifth two-year term in Congress.
The 18-county 6th District includes all of Columbiana County, the district’s most-populous county, and eight townships in southern Mahoning County.
Republican Robert J. Blazek of Bellaire has filed to challenge Johnson in the primary. Also, two Democrats – Shawna Roberts of Belmont and Werner Lange of Newton Falls – have announced their candidacies for the position.