Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), the Democratic contender in the ongoing Ohio Senate race, raised more than $17 million in the third quarter of this year, which is millions ahead of what was previously his campaign’s highest single-quarter total. It’s also vastly ahead of the entire total Republican challenger J.D. Vance reported as of June across his entire campaign.
Ryan’s newest total of $17.2 million stretches from the beginning of July to the end of September. Almost all of that money was donated in amounts of under $100, according to the Ryan campaign. Ryan’s total for the second quarter was about $9.1 million, reflecting fundraising from the beginning of April to the close of June this year. Vance didn’t make his numbers from the third quarter available as quickly as Ryan, but from the start of May 2021 to the end of the second quarter of this year, his campaign reported $3.5 million in total receipts, most of which was from transfers from other authorized committees and money personally loaned to the campaign from the candidate. Those specifications mean most of the money wasn’t directly from individual donors, although with Election Day quickly approaching, the paltry fundraising levels at the Vance campaign would presumably at least somewhat increase — maybe?
At a recent southern California fundraiser on behalf of fellow GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters, who is running in Arizona in hopes of unseating Sen. Mark Kelly (D), billionaire and GOP megadonor Peter Thiel reportedly seemed to suggest he wouldn’t be further financially supporting Vance’s campaign, although he expressed optimism about Vance’s prospects. Thiel was evidently focused on financially propping up Masters, who consistently does worse than Vance in polling. Thiel gave a total of some $30 million to outside groups backing Masters and Vance before the general election season in their respective states got underway. As for the polls, a recent survey from Siena College showed Ryan ahead, but a poll from Marist College showed his Republican challenger in the lead. Both pollsters are rated with an “A” at the elections data and analysis site FiveThirtyEight, reflecting a high degree of confidence in their accuracy — so the outcome is unclear. In Arizona, Masters — who last year seemingly characterized abortion as “demonic” and a “religious sacrifice” — hasn’t led in a single major poll cataloged by FiveThirtyEight since the primaries.
