10/25/02

Columbus- Ohio Republicans continued their fund-raising dominance over the Democrats in the last finance report before the Nov. 5 election yesterday.

But the Democrats held their own in the few competitive races.

In the state treasurer's race, Democratic challenger Mary Boyle raised more than incumbent Republican Joe Deters during the last reporting period, which ended Oct. 16.

The four candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court combined to set a fund-raising record, collecting a total of more than $5 million this election. And opponents of Issue 1, the drug treatment initiative, have raised more money than the three billionaires financing the initiative.

In the governor's race, Republican Bob Taft topped $11 million in fund-raising. Taft alone has raised more than twice as much campaign money as all seven statewide Democratic candidates combined. Taft's opponent, Democrat Tim Hagan, topped $1 million.

Deters still holds the overall fund-raising lead in the treasurer's race. But in the final month, Boyle raised $80,473 to Deters' $64,510.

Deters' campaign has already invested $1.2 million in television advertising that began airing last week, and reports filed yesterday show him buying $362,000 more in media time.

Boyle's reports showed her reserving $285,000 in TV in the final days of the campaign.

The four candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court easily surpassed the $3.1 million raised by four candidates in 2000. They nearly quadrupled the $1.4 million raised by four candidates in 1996.

The insurance industry and the medical community, hoping to break a 4-3 majority that has rejected laws that limit jury awards, have contributed the most to the Republican candidates, incumbent Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor.

Their Democratic opponents, Janet Burnside, a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge, and Tim Black, a Hamilton County Municipal judge, have received most of their money from trial lawyers and labor, who seek a status quo on the court.

The candidates are fighting to get their messages heard above the roar of a spate of ads paid for by independent campaigns sponsored by business, insurance and trial attorneys, said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action.

"In this particular case, money is the fuel to get their message out," Turcer said. "It makes sense for candidates to be more aggressive to look for contributions so they can control their campaigns."

A combined $7.5 million was spent on state legislative races during the last reporting period - most of it by House Republicans, who are defending 59 seats they control across the state. The House GOP caucus raised almost $2.4 million and spent close to $4.9 million during the final period, while their Democratic rivals - who control the other 40 seats - raised $588,000 and spent $390,000.

Senate Republicans raised more than Democrats by a 10-1 ratio, collecting $2.1 million in contributions during the period compared with Democrats' $208,000. Half of the GOP-controlled chamber's 33 seats are in contention this year. Senate Republicans spent $1.8 million during the period, with Democrats spending $502,000.

Ohioans Against Unsafe Drug Laws, which is fighting Issue 1, reported raising $777,549 in contributions, compared with $440,250 raised by the Ohio Campaign for New Drug Policies.

The two campaigns this week initiated what is expected to be an expensive TV ad war. However, both sides avoided having to report their TV ad expenditures by waiting until after the Oct. 16 reporting deadline passed to buy ad time.

The top contributors to the campaign to defeat the initiative were Cincinnati financier Carl Lindner and FirstEnergy Corp. in Akron, both of which donated $50,000.

The Issue 1 proponents' campaign is being paid for almost entirely by international philanthropist George Soros, University of Phoenix founder John Sperling and Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance Corp. in Mayfield. The trio contributed $440,200, split equally, with the other $50 coming from campaign manager Ed Orlett.

Plain Dealer reporter Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.

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jsmyth@plaind.com, 1-800-228-8272