U.S. Senator from Ohio

Rob Portman

• went to Washington, D.C., and he became a lobbyist. He made $400,000 a year.

  A 2016 Ohio Senate debate · October 2016

  PolitiFact rated this Half True, October 20, 2016 · the check

Ted Strickland

• even voted to allow people on the terrorism watch list to buy guns

  A Ted Strickland campaign ad · September 2016

  PolitiFact rated this False, September 29, 2016 · the check

• we don't have a super PAC, and quite frankly, we don't want one that spends millions to spew out lies

  Campaign fundraising email · May 2016

  PolitiFact rated this Half True, May 31, 2016 · the check

• job to stop China's illegal dumping of steel. He failed, looked the other way, did nothing.

  A Ted Strickland campaign ad ('Beltway Rob') · April 2016

  PolitiFact rated this False, April 1, 2016 · the check

• With 320,000 net Ohio manufacturing jobs lost, (Sen. Rob) Portman calls NAFTA a 'proven success.'

  Campaign statement · February 2016

  PolitiFact rated this Mostly False, February 5, 2016 · the check

Rob Portman

1. May 9, 2016 · statement

   Endorsed Donald Trump for president on May 9, 2016, after fellow Ohioan John Kasich exited the GOP primary, then publicly rescinded that endorsement on October 8-9, 2016 after the 'Access Hollywood' tape surfaced, saying he would instead write in Trump's running mate Mike Pence for president.

   Columbus Dispatch, via archive.org: Most Ohio GOP leaders still behind Trump · the source

   Sources: abc6onyourside.com · cleveland.com

2. March 2016 · bill

   Lead Senate co-author, with Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and others, of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which passed the Senate 94-1 in March 2016 and was signed into law in July 2016, funding addiction prevention, treatment and recovery programs.

   Sources: portman.senate.gov · news.yahoo.com

3. 2016 · action

   As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led an 18-month bipartisan investigation into Backpage.com; the subcommittee's report found the site knowingly facilitated sex trafficking of vulnerable women and children, and the Senate voted unanimously to hold Backpage in contempt of Congress after it resisted a subpoena.

   Source: portman.senate.gov

4. 2011 · action

   Served as one of twelve members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the 'supercommittee'), tasked with finding at least $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction; the committee failed to reach agreement, triggering automatic sequestration spending cuts.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

Ted Strickland

1. 2011 · action

   After leaving office, helped lead the 2011 citizen-referendum campaign against Senate Bill 5, which would have sharply limited public-employee collective bargaining; Ohio voters repealed SB 5 with more than 60% support.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

2. 2009 · action

   Drew down Ohio's Budget Stabilization ('rainy day') Fund from roughly $1 billion to $0.89 by the time he left office, using it to help balance the state budget during the 2008-09 recession.

   U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a 2016 ad: As governor, Ted Strickland left only 89 cents in Ohio's rainy day fund. · the source

   Source: politifact.com

3. 2008 · bill

   Signed Ohio's renewable-portfolio standard, mandating that 25% of the state's electricity come from renewable/advanced sources by 2025.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

4. 2007 · action

   Created the University System of Ohio to expand access to in-state higher education; Ohio's K-12 system rose from 27th to 5th in the nation (grade B-) in Education Week's 'Quality Counts' rankings during his term.

   Sources: thinkbeyond.osu.edu · edweek.org

Rob Portman

FEC, as of December 31, 2016: raised $19,849,495, spent $25,276,524, cash on hand $381,764.

Sources: fec.gov · projects.propublica.org

Outside spending

• supporting $36,300,000 · as of November 2016

  Freedom Partners Action Fund · $9,400,000 · support

  Fighting For Ohio Fund · $9,260,000 · support

  Sources: opensecrets.org · opensecrets.org

Ted Strickland

FEC, as of December 31, 2016: raised $10,736,947, spent $10,567,811, cash on hand $169,136.

Sources: fec.gov · fec.gov

Top donors, as filed

• New York City-based attorneys, real-estate executives and financial-services professionals · $120,000 · campaign committee

  Fourth-quarter 2015 individual donors, per FEC records analyzed by the Washington Free Beacon

  Source: freebeacon.com

• Washington, D.C.-based attorneys, lobbyists, consultants and CEOs · $54,000 · campaign committee

  Fourth-quarter 2015 individual donors, per FEC records analyzed by the Washington Free Beacon

  Source: freebeacon.com

Outside spending

• supporting $5,900,000 · opposing $30,400,000 · as of November 2016

  Senate Majority PAC · $9,960,000 · support

  Source: opensecrets.org