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Portman's first quarter fundraising take? $2.75M in 90 days

Deirdre Shesgreen
dshesgreen@usatoday.com
Sen. Rob Portman talks with members of the Enquirer's editorial board. According to figures obtained by The Enquirer, Portman has raised $2.75 million in 90 days for his Senate campaign.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Rob Portman raised $2.75 million in the first three months of this year, a haul that hints at a super competitive – and very expensive – Senate race in Ohio next year.

With the 2016 Senate election still nearly 20 months away, Portman, R-Ohio, will report a cash balance of more than $8 million, according to figures provided by his campaign.

The first quarter ended on March 31, but candidates do not have to file their campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission until April 15.

The two national parties have already tagged Ohio, a quintessential swing state, as a key race in the battle for control of the Senate in the next election.

Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland are both vying for the Democratic nomination – and the chance to face Portman in a general election.

On the GOP side, Portman has been bracing for a primary. Although he has a conservative voting record, Portman has angered some on the right with his support for same-sex marriage. He changed his views on that issue in 2013 after his son, Will, told his parents that he is gay.

But so far, conservatives have not been able to find anyone to take on the incumbent Republican, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving in the House and in the George W. Bush administration.

Part of the reason is Portman's fundraising prowess. His first quarter numbers show that he's raised, on average, $30,555 per day since Jan. 1.

His GOP foes say that his big bank account and his long list of endorsements have scared off potential challengers. Portman's campaign has amassed endorsements from more than 500 Ohio GOP officials including all Republicans in the congressional delegation, a bevy of state legislators, a county chairman and others.

In the meantime, much of the attention in the race has been focused on the Democratic showdown between Strickland and Sittenfeld. Neither of those candidates have disclosed their first quarter fundraising totals yet.

In announcing his fundraising figures, Portman's campaign manager Corry Bliss took a jab at Strickland, who the GOP clearly sees as the more formidable opponent.

"We've seen an incredible outpouring of support for Rob around Ohio and throughout the country," said Bliss. "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."