Local GOP Congressional Candidates Outraise Opponents

Republican Steve Stivers raised more than twice as much campaign money as Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy during the second quarter of the year, giving him a major financial advantage in the final months of their hotly contested campaign.

By collecting $587,376 in the three months ending June 30, Stivers, a former state senator, now has $1.24 million in the bank compared with $933,626 for Kilroy, a first-term Democratic lawmaker.

She raised $229,955 in the second quarter.

Kilroy has been targeted by national Republicans in what is expected to be one of the most-spirited races in the country. The Columbus lawmaker narrowly defeated Stivers in 2008 to win the seat, which includes large parts of Franklin County as well as all of Madison and Union counties.

In what also could be a close race in the 12th district, Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, reported having more than $1.9 million on hand to spend in his bid for a sixth term in Congress. Tiberi raised $560,000 during the three-month period that ended June 30.

His Democratic opponent, Paula Brooks, a two-term Franklin County commissioner, reported $680,000 on hand after raising $320,000 during the second quarter.

They are competing for a congressional district that includes northern and eastern Franklin County, western Licking County, and all of Delaware County.

According to Tiberi’s report, more than half of his contributions this quarter, about $300,000, came from political-action committees. He took $3,500 from the Mortgage Bankers Association, $2,500 from Huntington Bancshares Inc., $2,000 from PNC Bank and $1,000 each from American Express and Bank of America.

The 12th Congressional District is among a handful of districts currently targeted by national Democrats, and several liberal-leaning groups already have run ads targeting Tiberi.

Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, who is heavily favored to win re-election, reported $306,082 in the bank. Austria said he raised $96,063 during the three-month period. He spent $51,813 during those same three months.

Austria, a first-term lawmaker who won 58 percent of the vote in 2008, raised a large chunk of his campaign cash in the second quarter from PACs organized by well-known U.S. companies.

He accepted $1,000 each from Boeing Aircraft, Exxon-Mobile, Eastman-Kodak and Halliburton, a Houston energy company whose chairman from 1995 to 2000 was former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Austria’s Democratic opponent, Bill Conner of Beavercreek, had not filed a report with the elections commission as of yesterday.

Reports are due at midnight tonight, which means some were unavailable. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-St. Clairsville, declined to make public his report, with a spokeswoman saying, “The report will be submitted this evening and will be available on the FEC website by the first of next week.”

State Sen. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, reported loaning his campaign $30,000 to give him a $209,534 balance. He raised $209,967 in the second quarter for his battle in the 18th Congressional District against Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, whose report was not available today.

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