It's not about the money, money, money...or is it?
Happy Wednesday to everyone who enjoys Federal Election Commission filings.
Second-quarter fundraising came out last week for Ohio's congressional and U.S. Senate candidates. In the Senate race, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is raising and spending way more money than his Republican opponent, J.D. Vance. Read more on that here.
The numbers in Ohio's high-profile congressional races also caught my eye.
1st Congressional District: Cincinnati City Council member Greg Landsman is hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot after new maps gave Democrats a slight edge in that district. Landsman raised $529,126 in the second quarter, while Chabot trailed behind with $302,116.
Both are getting a fair amount of help from PACs. Landsman also got $5,000 from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
9th Congressional District: The new congressional maps created a toss-up district around Toledo for U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Congress' longest-serving female lawmaker. She's facing J.R. Majewski, a political newcomer who painted his front lawn as a Donald Trump banner.
Majewski, who has the former president's endorsement, reportedly attended the Jan. 6, 2021, "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C.
Kaptur raised $790,590 in the second quarter and has nearly $1.7 million to spare. Majewski received $195,768 in contributions, and his campaign has $113,154 left in the bank.
13th Congressional District: State Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, is taking on attorney Madison Gesiotto Gilbert for this open seat. Gilbert previously co-chaired the national Women for Trump advisory board and initially planned to challenge Kaptur before district boundaries changed.
The DCCC chose Sykes for its "Red to Blue" program, which provides resources to candidates running for seats that Democrats are favored to pick up.
Sykes brought in $527,230. Gilbert received $273,593 in contributions and loaned her campaign $50,000.
10-year-old's abortion becomes flashpoint
By now, you've probably seen the story about the 10-year-old Ohio girl who got an abortion in Indiana. Gerson Fuentes, 27, was arrested last week and charged with rape after police say he admitted to raping the girl at least twice.
Ohio leaders, including Attorney General Dave Yost and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, initially doubted the story reported by the IndyStar. But it was true. Now, there's a lot of information about the case and how it relates to Ohio's abortion law.
Here are some stories to help you catch up:
What we know about case of 10-year-old Ohio girl who sought abortion in Indiana
Mental health isn't an exception in Ohio's heartbeat abortion law. Should it be?
Time to get a Real ID, for real
You know those Real ID signs you always see at airports? Well, it's probably time to get one.
As Abby Bammerlin reported, the federally-compliant ID will be required after May 3, 2023, meaning standard driver's licenses will no longer cut it for traveling. Federal officials have moved the deadline multiple times – most recently because of the pandemic – but they say May 3 is the real deal.
About 48% of Ohio drivers have Real IDs. If you need one, visit your favorite Bureau of Motor Vehicles office with documents that show the following:
Full legal name
Date of Birth
Legal presence in the U.S.
Social Security number
Proof of address (You'll need two different documents from two different sources for this.)
Proof of name change (if applicable)
The BMV has a handy checklist to help people figure out which documents are eligible. Don't be like me and forget to check what's required before you go.
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To borrow a favorite phrase of my colleague Laura Bischoff (and Tigger): "Ta ta for now!"
Haley BeMiller, political reporter
Questions or story ideas? Email me at hbemiller@dispatch.com. You can find me on Twitter @haleybemiller.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: It's not about the money, money, money...or is it?
