Ohio, where some Republicans who control the legislature are out-fundraising Democrats by about $3.7 million, might be true-to-form with the age-old saying “you vote with your dollar.”
Democrats are being trampled by their GOP rivals when it comes to campaign spending in a year, when it is especially important for the Democratic Party to win seats in the largely Republican-controlled Statehouse.
As of the end of January, The Ohio House Republican Caucus had more than 22 times as much money on hand than the Ohio House Democratic Caucus, according to campaign finance data made available by the state.
“I do believe the vast majority of voters say if its not broken don’t fix it,” Sen. Dave Burke, a Republican from Marysville and co-chairman of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, said of the Republican majority. “People are pleased with our works and that reflects back through the support.”
Despite the chasm between the two parties’ funds, Democrats are not worried this will be a problem in the 2014 elections.
“Politically, it’s typical,” said Sen. Lou Gentile, a Democrat from Steubenville whose district includes part of Athens County. “I think we’ll be fine when fall comes, the numbers don’t reflect that now, but we’ll be there come the fall. When we get close to fall, we’ll get closer to closing that gap.”
Gentile, who is also the campaign manager for the Senate, added many Republicans will have to face competition from Tea Party candidates in that party’s primaries, whereas Democrats do not have that problem.
“I think as we head into 2014, Republicans are going to find themselves challenged not only in November, but in primaries,” Gentile said.
But Pete Couladis, chair of the Athens County Republican Party said though the Tea Party candidates’ effectiveness will be a “mixed bag”, he believes the Republicans will be alright come this year’s elections.
“The problem with some of these tea party groups is they appeal to only the far right,” Couladis said.
Rep. Debbie Phillips, D-Athens, said she believes the Democratic party’s strengths lie not in their ability to raise money, but in the candidates they have running.
“The Republican majority is out of touch with the majority of Ohioans in terms of policy,” Phillips said. “We have been out-raised in the past and still won.”
Phillips added she believes the 2010 United States Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, which loosened restrictions on how corporations spend on campaigns, has “drowned out” individual voices.
Still, she said she remains optimistic about Democrats’ chances in the 2014 elections.
“At the end of the day, all these are statehouse races, so it is possible to knock on enough doors to make a difference,” Phillips said.
@LucasDaprile
ld311710@ohiou.edu
Campaign Finances:
In the last six months:
Ohio House Democratic Caucus
Amount on hand as of Jan. 31, 2014: $173,437
Total contributions: 374
Average contribution: $550
Largest single donation: $25,000 from Friends of Heard
Ohio House Republican Caucus
Amount on hand as of Jan. 31 2014: $3,941,629
Total number of contributions: 916
Average contribution: $2,738
Largest single donation: $300,000 from Batchelder for Representative Committee
Friends of Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, on Jan. 31, had $57,904 on hand
Friends of Debbie Phillips, D-Athens, on Jan. 31, had $23,459 on hand.
Source: Ohio campaign finance data, annual January report
This article appeared in print under the headline "GOP raised 22 times as much as Dems"
