Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) banked nearly $3 million in the first quarter of the year, bringing his total cash on hand to a whopping $8 million ahead of his 2016 reelection efforts.
“We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of support for Rob around Ohio and throughout the country,” Portman’s campaign manager, Corry Bliss, said in a statement. “Rob Portman’s fight to expand opportunity for all Ohio workers is gaining momentum and it’s clear that most Ohioans don’t want to relive the Strickland era when over 350,000 jobs disappeared from the state.”
It’s the latest show of strength from the first-term senator, who ranks near the top of the money list for all senators up for reelection in 2016.
{mosads}The Portman campaign moved early to lock down key endorsements, likely scaring away any potential challengers from the right.
In February, Portman announced the support of 500 elected Republican officials across the state.
The list of backers includes Gov. John Kasich, Speaker John Boehner, who represents Ohio’s 8th District, and the entire Ohio Congressional delegation, including former Republican Study Committee head Rep. Jim Jordan, a well-regarded voice among conservatives in the House.
Portman also has the backing of dozens of Ohio state legislators, GOP county chairmen and members of the state central committee. Earlier on Wednesday, the Portman campaign released a list of 190 people that will serve as county chairmen on his campaign, spanning all 88 Ohio counties.
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is the favorite to face Portman in the general election.
Strickland announced his candidacy midway through the fundraising cycle, so likely won’t announce as impressive a haul as Portman. However, he’s been through statewide elections in the state before and will likely be a formidable fundraiser.
On Tuesday, former President Clinton announced his support for Strickland. Strickland was an early backer of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2008 run for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Strickland also has the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D). A spokesman for the Strickland campaign said his fundraising numbers are coming soon.
He’ll be looking to beat back a challenge from Democratic upstart P.G. Sittenfeld, a 30-year-old Cincinnati city councilman. Sittenfeld announced his candidacy before Strickland and is staying in the race, even as the Democratic establishment lines up against him.
Sittenfeld is a rising star in the party, and he had a lot of early buzz among Democrats before it became clear that Strickland would enter the race. A campaign official for Sittenfeld said his fundraising numbers will be released soon.