Troy businessman Warren Davidson is leading the pack of 15 Republican congressional hopefuls in not only fundraising totals — his campaign has raised more than $300,000 since filing to run in December — but he also leads the pack with more than $1 million in outside support.
Congressional campaigns had until midnight Thursday to file campaign finance reports with the Federal Elections Commission, and it’s the last look at how much money these candidates have spent thus far in the 8th Congressional District race before the March 15 primary election.
The fund-raising activity for this pre-primary report is for activity from the last report — which in most cases is Jan. 1, 2016 — through Feb. 24. Campaigns that raised and/or spent $5,000 or more are required to file a financial report with the Federal Elections Commission. Many of top fund-raising campaigns have received the federal maximum donations of $2,700 per election cycle.
The Washington, D.C.-based Club for Growth has paid more than $1 million into television, radio and digital ads since February. The Senate Conservatives Fund paid nearly $3,600 for donation processing and email marketing in support of Davidson.
But the Defending Mainstreet SuperPAC paid $51,000 for a radio ad opposing Davidson.
Davidson’s campaign kicked into gear after the first of the year. In the year-end report, the Davidson for Congress campaign raised just more than $40,000 and the businessman gave his campaign a $100,000 loan.
Since Jan. 1, Davidson gave his campaign another $100,000 loan, but it has received $263,951 in donations, including maximum donations from finance writer and editor Rob Arnott and Club for Growth backer Jerry Hayden.
His campaign received another $26,500, which came from political committees such as Jim Jordan for Congress, House Freedom Fund and the Senate Conservatives Fund.
This fundraising cycle, the campaign has spent more than $219,200, which includes two television ads and “service cost” to Club for Growth.
State Rep. Tim Derickson, R-Hanover Twp., has received more than $477,000 in support with the lion’s share coming from the Right Way Initiative, which purchased television and radio ads for the Cincinnati area market, and for mailers. Right Way Initiative told this newspaper last month they intend to spend $450,000 in support of Derickson. The Credit Union National Associations’ Legislative Action Council has spent $200,000 on a media buy in support of Derickson.
So far this campaign, Derickson for Congress has spent more than $147,000 between his year-end report filed Jan. 29 and his March 3 report. The campaign has raised more than $216,000 since he announced his candidacy, including two maximum donations from Middletown couple William and Deborah Akers and Charles Gerhardt III, a partner in Cincinnati-based Government Strategies Group LLC.
Derickson has not given his campaign any additional money outside of his initial $20,000 loan.
As of Feb. 24, the Derickson campaign had more than $75,500 on hand.
Though a lot of money has been spent by the campaign and in support of his campaign, The Americans for Concrete Solutions spent more than $50,000 opposing the state lawmaker’s congressional bid via direct mail.
That same group also spent $18,000 opposing State Sen. Bill Beagle, R-Tipp City.
Since his campaign started, Beagle has loaned his campaign $141,000, and the campaign has raised more than $212,500.
Springfield attorney James Lagos, a partner in Lagos and Lagos, was one of a handful of maximum contributors to the Beagle campaign.
Beagle’s campaign also spent nearly $230,000, which includes a television ad.
The Tipp City state lawmaker had more than $124,000 in cash on hand as of Feb. 24, and has not received any outside support.
Neither has Jim Spurlino, the Washington Twp. resident whose Spurlino Materials concrete business is based in Middletown.
Spurlino for Congress didn’t spend or raise the $5,000 minimum requirement to file a year-end report this past January, but has raised more than $144,800, and Spurlino gave his campaign $200,000.
Among the donors contributing the maximum amount to the Spurlino campaign are Steve Hill, the executive director of Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and Martin Ozinga IV, president of Chicago-based concrete company Ozinga Bros.
Spurlino has spent more than $274,400 and had more than $70,300 as of Feb. 24.