DARKE COUNTY — Tens of thousands of dollars are being contributed, and spent, in the effort to win the 80th District House seat in the Nov. 6 election.
Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) and D.J. Byrnes (D-Piqua) are each seeking to fill the seat being vacated by current Rep. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), who is running for a State Senate seat. The 80th House Congressional District, which leans Republican, includes all of Miami County and the southern portion of Darke County.
Powell has spent more than $36,000 of $41,752.79 in pre-general election contributions received, as of the Oct. 25 filing date with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. She received more than $70,000 in donations to aid her primary victory in May over three other Republican opponents. Powell was able to carry over approximately $30,000 of this to her general election campaign.
Byrnes, who got off to a late start after being selected by Democrats to run when the original candidate dropped out, has spent approximately $55,000 out of $56,920.29 in his pre-general election campaign coffers.
Perhaps surprisingly, perhaps not, the majority of each candidates’ contributors reside outside of the 80th District.
Powell’s largest post-primary contributors include Friends of Larry Householder of Glenford, Ohio ($12,707.79, the maximum contribution in the election cycle), the Academy of Senior Health Sciences of Columbus ($12,500), Friends of Jay Edwards of Albany, Ohio ($12,500), Cynthia Boich of Boich Industries of Columbus ($12,000), Political Education Patterns of Cleveland ($6,000), Ohio Laborers District Council PAC of Westerville, Ohio ($5,000), Donald A. Oeters of Cincinnati ($5,000) and Constant Content, Inc. of Federal Way, Washington ($3,000).
Byrnes has received more out-of-state contributions than Powell, but the represent smaller contributions, with most donations ranging from $25 to $100. The majority of his campaign funding has been self-financed with himself contributing more than $36,000 to the race.
