Ohio Sen. Rob Portman’s campaigned announced Thursday they have reserved $15 million in advertising, becoming the first senator to lock down ad time through election day ahead of a tough reelection fight.
Within the ad blitz itself, set to start in June, $14 million will hit statewide television markets, with the other $1 million going into YouTube programming to specifically target voters as part of their data operation.
The announcement comes as a show of strength from the campaign, which has raised more than any other senate campaign with $13.4 million in the bank as of April and significantly dwarfs that of former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, his opponent. Thus far, Strickland has raised only $2.7 — only 1/5th of Portman’s total — leaving him lagging well behind the $20 million goal set out for his bid last summer.
“Our paid media campaign will detail what is at stake in the Ohio Senate race: Rob’s vision for a brighter future or a return to Ted Strickland’s Ohio when the state lost more than 350,000 jobs and ranked 48th in job creation,” campaign manager Corry Bliss said in a statement. “The days of Ted Strickland hiding from his awful record are over — every Ohio voter will soon learn why Ted is the worst Senate candidate in America.” Despite the top-notch fundraising effort on Portman’s side, the race remains up for grabs, with the two in a virtual tie. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Portman and Strickland in a virtual tie, with Strickland leading 40.5-40 percent.
Overall, Ohio is not an easy state to advertise in, with 12 media markets overall — four of which spill into neighboring states — forcing massive media buys throughout the Buckeye State. A campaign official told the Washington Examiner that they plan to target messages geographically, with various messages running statewide.
Portman’s campaign has been consistent in it’s attacks against against the former governor, who they’ve dubbed “Retread Ted,” lambasting him for his record in Congress and during his gubernatorial tenure in Columbus, with particular focus on his job creation record.
In addition, Portman could face some headwinds heading into November with Donald Trump set to head up the ticket as the presumptive Republican nomination, leaving some to worry for his sake and others running down-ballot. However, Trump is showing surprising strength in the state, with the real estate mogul topping Hillary Clinton by four points, 43-39 percent, in a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday.
Earlier Thursday, Portman was one of 11 senators to meet with Trump at the Republican National Committee in Washington. Trump was in town for a series of meetings with lawmakers, with his sit-down with Speaker Paul Ryan also on the docket.
No matter, the campaign is still confident as they focus on the next step of the campaign and keep Strickland’s gubernatorial tenure front-and-center.
“When we’re done with Ted Strickland, there will be nothing left to vote for,” Bliss told the Examiner in late April.
