We’re a long way from Election Day in Ohio’s Senate race to replace retiring GOP senator George Voinovich. But there’s an early bit of good news for the GOP out in the Buckeye State:
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner reported today that she has raised $200,000 for her U.S. Senate bid, an amount dwarfed by her would-be Democratic and Republican opponents.
Brunner’s first quarter fund-raising take for 2009 is well-below the more than $1 million reported raised by her Democratic rival, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, and the more than $1.7 million reported by former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.
It’s still early, but for now, Rob Portman has no serious big-name competition in the GOP primary. On the Democratic side, Brunner and Fisher will probably have at least a somewhat competitive primary.