Kilroy, Stivers building formidable bankrolls...and others

clipped from www.dispatchpolitics.com Saturday, April 17, 2010 2:51 AM By Jack Torry and Jonathan Riskind THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH WASHINGTON -- Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican challenger Steve Stivers both enter the fall campaign with large campaign treasuries, suggesting the race between the two could be one of the most expensive House campaigns in Ohio. According to reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission, Kilroy, D-Columbus, had $878,000 available to spend for her campaign, compared with $793,313 for Stivers, a former state senator. Kilroy reported raising $308,000 during the first three months of this year, compared with $367,157 for Stivers. Both national political parties regard the Kilroy-Stivers matchup in the 15th District as one of the key congressional races in the country. Because House members file electronically, their reports are more readily available than those of Senate candidates, who needed only to postmark their reports to the Senate by yesterday.

In addition to the Kilroy-Stivers race, the campaign between Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, and Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks in the 12th District is expected to be expensive.

Brooks, the Democratic challenger, reported raising $280,164 during the first three months of this year, giving her $501,223. But she badly trailed Tiberi, who raised $367,810 during the first quarter to give him $1.5million.

Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, who reportedly is a major target of the national Republicans, has raised far more money than any of his potential opponents in the

18th District.

Space, a second-term lawmaker, reported $1.33million in the bank after raising more than $301,000 in the first quarter.

By contrast, state Sen. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, who has the backing of the party establishment in the primary, has $143,200. Two of his GOP primary opponents - Jeanette Moll of Zanesville and 2008 opponent Fred Daily - reported having about $60,000 apiece in their campaign treasuries.

Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, who is heavily favored to win re-election in the 7th District, reported having $278,423.

In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Lee Fisher reported yesterday that he has $1.83 million in the bank, having raised $547,816 during the first quarter. Fisher, the state's lieutenant governor, is opposed in the primary by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, whose report had not reached the Senate.

But both will trail Republican candidate Rob Portman, who raised $2.35 million during the first three months of the year to give him $7.6 million.

Portman's report was not on file at the Senate yesterday, but his campaign made part of his report available.

jtorry@dispatch.com

jriskind@dispatch.com