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Ryan’s congressional campaign has its all-time second worst fundraising quarter

By David Skolnick

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Congressman raises only $30K while focusing on presidential bid

By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Essentially at the bottom of the list of money raised in the second quarter by 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan’s congressional campaign took in only $30,255.83 during the same three months.

It’s the second-lowest fundraising quarter his congressional campaign has had since he first ran for the elected position in 2002.

After expenses, Ryan’s congressional fund had a $39,333.91 surplus as of June 30.

Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, has focused his attention on raising money for his presidential bid rather than his congressional re-election – he’s seeking both in 2020 and can transfer money from one campaign to the other if he withdraws from a race.

Ryan, a nine-term congressman, raised $889,398.86 for his presidential bid between April and June. That’s the least amount of money for any of the 20 Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for last month’s debates and the upcoming ones at the end of the month.

It’s also less than two candidates – Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts – who didn’t qualified for the June debates.

As for money raised from donors, Ryan moves up one notch because former U.S. Rep. John Delaney’s campaign, which reported $8.03 million, received only $284,476 in individual contributions. The rest of Delaney’s money comes from loans he gave his campaign.

Ryan’s congressional campaign raised $30,255.83 between April 1 and June 30. The least amount of money Ryan ever raised was the fourth quarter of 2003 when he received $20,000 in contributions, according to a review by The Vindicator of his campaign finance reports.

The only $2,800 maximum contributions he received in this most-recent quarter from individual donors to his congressional campaign came from Mike Garvey, president and CEO of Youngstown-based M7 Technologies, and his wife, Jeanette. The Poland couple also contributed $2,800 each to Ryan’s presidential fund.

Ryan’s congressional fund received $5,000 from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Political Action Committee Fund of Independence, Ohio, and $3,000 from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Political Action Together Committee of Hanover, Md.

Ryan’s congressional campaign spent $58,114 during the second quarter.

Among his largest expenses were $10,470 to 2 Ticks & The Dog Productions Inc. of Warren for video production, $7,820 to Fraioli & Associates of Washington, D.C., for fundraising and consulting expenses, and $5,271 to Winpisinger & Associates Inc. of Gaithersburg, Md., for “compliance consulting.”

Ryan also paid $3,891 to General Motors for a “leased car.”

Ryan’s five-county district includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull.

Meanwhile, the congressional campaign of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Marietta, R-6th, raised $350,024 and spent $133,173 in the second quarter.

Johnson, a five-term congressman, had $1,180,829 in his campaign fund as of June 30.

He received $2,800 maximum donations from 22 individuals – none from the Mahoning Valley – and $5,000 contributions from eight PACS, including the National Rural Letter Carriers Association of Alexandria, Va.; Charter Communications Inc. of Stamford, Conn.; and Aluminum PAC of Arlington, Va.

His biggest expense, by far, was $69,891.27 to 814 Consulting LLC of Alexandria, Va., for campaign fundraising consulting. More than half of Johnson’s expenses for the quarter went to 814 Consulting.

Johnson’s 18-county district includes all of Columbiana County and the southern portion of Mahoning.