Popis: |
Early polling for the 2016 Ohio Senate election gave great hope to Democrats that they could capture this prized seat. The incumbent, Republican Senator Rob Portman, was surprisingly unknown to many voters and initially trailed Governor Ted Strickland by double digits. Independent groups, allied with the Republicans, launched a very expensive and negative campaign against Strickland, totaling $31.7 million by the end of the summer. These groups focused on the woes of Ohio during the Great Recession, while Strickland served as governor. Stickland had neither the funds nor an answer to that early barrage of negative advertising, causing a dramatic drop in the polls. The race was over by the end of the summer of 2016 and Portman won with 58% of the vote. |