Why Republicans’ Fundraising Haul Is Good News for Rob Portman
Posted on October 7, 2014
"Rob Portman, official portrait, 112th Congress" by United States Senate - http://portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/files/serve?File_id=a1c80e83-2de5-48f2-a0dd-d8551f3d85c1. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
(This originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank)
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised more than $15.5 million in September. That’s more than double the amount it raised in August.
Why is it a big deal that Rob Portman, as finance chairman of the NRSC, reported the largest cash haul in the committee’s history?
Well, aside from earning the respect and appreciation of his colleagues, who desperately need the resources to capture the majority, Sen. Portman has shown that he has the chops to get donors to open their wallets.
That network of financial backers could come in handy should Sen. Portman decide to throw his hat in the ring for president.
Sen. Portman and NRSC Chairman Jerry Moran have largely had to run this project on their own. Ted Cruz, the committee’s vice chairman for grass-roots outreach, has his own agenda, and the GOP”s two Senate leaders, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn, are up for reelection and are distracted by their own races.
As finance chair, Sen. Portman’s role is to shake the money tree, staking his personal credibility to get donors to give to the campaign committee.
Should the Ohio senator, who has deep experience in Congress and has served in high-profile positions for two Republican presidents, decide to run for the White House in 2016, he would immediately become the favorite of many establishment Republicans.
His ability to raise money in this election cycle proves that should he decide to run, he would have ample resources to be competitive.