Mcconnell Warns Gop May Not Win Senate As Group Affiliated With Him Invests Heavily In Ohio

Comment Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns that the GOP may not regain control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections — a cycle that would normally be favorable to the party not in power — as the committee political action tied to McConnell is organizing a rescue effort in the Ohio Senate race. Asked Wednesday by reporters in Kentucky about his midterm predictions, McConnell said there is “probably a higher chance of flipping the House than the Senate.” “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide, the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome,” he said, according to NBC News. In a year when Republicans should have the edge over Democrats, especially as President Biden’s approval ratings fall and inflation remains high, the GOP faces surprisingly tight Senate races in many states — even with Republican groups to they provide huge sums of money to help struggling candidates. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee associated with McConnell, is investing $28 million in radio and television ads in Ohio to support Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Atou. New pro-Vance ads will begin rolling out after Labor Day, according to the newspaper, which noted the ad purchase marks a significant increase from the estimated $5 million national Republicans have invested in the Ohio race so far. In 2020, Trump won Ohio by about eight percentage points. But polls have shown an extremely close race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and his Democratic opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan, as they vie for the seat of retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R). Vance’s primary race was funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance at his venture capital firm. But Vance was outscored 4-to-1 by Ryan in the second quarter of 2022. Ryan, a 10-term congressman running for president in 2020, is a seasoned campaigner and moderate Democrat willing to break with the party leadership on some policies, notably trade and China. In response to the GOP spending, Ryan tweeted: “If they are so focused on our race, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on.” Mitch McConnell’s super PAC just announced they are throwing $28 MILLION into Ohio to take down our campaign. If they are so concentrated in our tribe, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance, and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on. — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) August 18, 2022 Ryan also issued a fundraising appeal referring to the GOP investment and the appearance of Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Florida GOP campaign on Friday with Vance, writing: “National Republicans are PANICKING after multiple polls show this race deadlocked — and waiting for DeSandis to attack me personally. This is the beginning of Mitch McConnell’s new strategy to destroy my campaign.” Republicans need to win one seat to take the majority in a 50-50 Senate, in which Vice President Harris is the tie-breaker. The significant investment in a Republican-leaning state for a Republican-held seat is a stunning one for the party 82 days before Election Day. And while the GOP is still favored to hold the Ohio seat in November, the close race is forcing the party to spend money defensively, funds that could otherwise be invested in contesting Democratic-held Senate seats such as Nevada and Colorado. So far, the Senate Leadership Fund has also spent big on the Georgia and Pennsylvania Senate races, investing $37 million and $34.1 million, respectively. But those races are seen as more competitive for Republicans. In Georgia, Republicans are seeking to unseat Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D), whose January 2021 victory helped Democrats achieve their narrow majority in the Senate. However, GOP candidate Herschel Walker — who has come under scrutiny for past lies and revealing several previously undisclosed children — trails Warnock in the polls. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate, teased Republican opponent Mehmet Oz about “clean” markets and his New Jersey roots. (Video: The Washington Post) In the Senate race to replace retiring Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R), recent polls show Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) with a double-digit lead over Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, a celebrity TV doctor. Oz’s campaign has spent much of the past week fending off attacks about how many homes he owns and enduring online ridicule over a recently resurfaced video in which Oz spoofs the name of a local grocery chain while purportedly buying ingredients for “crutes.” . The spending by the McConnell-linked group comes as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) shifts its TV ad spending in several battleground states, canceling millions of dollars in ad bookings with plans to re-book investments through coordinated spending with campaigns. A Democrat who monitors media purchases, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide the data, said the NRSC this month cut television ad bookings by more than $7 million in Pennsylvania, nearly $3 million in Arizona and more than $2 million in both Wisconsin and Nevada. Another democracy watch market confirmed similar numbers. The changes to ad bookings were first reported by The New York Times earlier this week. The change comes as GOP Senate candidates in some of those states have fallen behind their Democratic rivals in fundraising, potentially hampering their ability to gain airwaves and promote their own candidacies. In Wisconsin, meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R) raised about $7 million to beat Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes’ roughly $2 million in the year’s second quarter, before Barnes’ primary rivals dropped out. This week, Barnes had a slight lead over Johnson, according to a Marquette Law School poll. Barnes has a 51% to 44% lead over Johnson in the poll, larger than Barnes’ margin of two points in June. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Democrats see the Wisconsin race as one of their top chances to pick up a Senate seat. Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.

title: “Mcconnell Warns Gop May Not Win Senate As Group Affiliated With Him Invests Heavily In Ohio Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-12” author: “Ricky Bryson”

Comment Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns that the GOP may not regain control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections — a cycle that would normally be favorable to the party not in power — as the committee political action tied to McConnell is organizing a rescue effort in the Ohio Senate race. Asked Wednesday by reporters in Kentucky about his midterm predictions, McConnell said there is “probably a higher chance of flipping the House than the Senate.” “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide, the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome,” he said, according to NBC News. In a year when Republicans should have the edge over Democrats, especially as President Biden’s approval ratings fall and inflation remains high, the GOP faces surprisingly tight Senate races in many states — even with Republican groups to they provide huge sums of money to help struggling candidates. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee associated with McConnell, is investing $28 million in radio and television ads in Ohio to support Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Atou. New pro-Vance ads will begin rolling out after Labor Day, according to the newspaper, which noted the ad purchase marks a significant increase from the estimated $5 million national Republicans have invested in the Ohio race so far. In 2020, Trump won Ohio by about eight percentage points. But polls have shown an extremely close race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and his Democratic opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan, as they vie for the seat of retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R). Vance’s primary race was funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance at his venture capital firm. But Vance was outscored 4-to-1 by Ryan in the second quarter of 2022. Ryan, a 10-term congressman running for president in 2020, is a seasoned campaigner and moderate Democrat willing to break with the party leadership on some policies, notably trade and China. In response to the GOP spending, Ryan tweeted: “If they are so focused on our race, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on.” Mitch McConnell’s super PAC just announced they are throwing $28 MILLION into Ohio to take down our campaign. If they are so concentrated in our tribe, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance, and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on. — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) August 18, 2022 Ryan also issued a fundraising appeal referring to the GOP investment and the appearance of Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Florida GOP campaign on Friday with Vance, writing: “National Republicans are PANICKING after multiple polls show this race deadlocked — and waiting for DeSandis to attack me personally. This is the beginning of Mitch McConnell’s new strategy to destroy my campaign.” Republicans need to win one seat to take the majority in a 50-50 Senate, in which Vice President Harris is the tie-breaker. The significant investment in a Republican-leaning state for a Republican-held seat is a stunning one for the party 82 days before Election Day. And while the GOP is still favored to hold the Ohio seat in November, the close race is forcing the party to spend money defensively, funds that could otherwise be invested in contesting Democratic-held Senate seats such as Nevada and Colorado. So far, the Senate Leadership Fund has also spent big on the Georgia and Pennsylvania Senate races, investing $37 million and $34.1 million, respectively. But those races are seen as more competitive for Republicans. In Georgia, Republicans are seeking to unseat Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D), whose January 2021 victory helped Democrats achieve their narrow majority in the Senate. However, GOP candidate Herschel Walker — who has come under scrutiny for past lies and revealing several previously undisclosed children — trails Warnock in the polls. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate, teased Republican opponent Mehmet Oz about “clean” markets and his New Jersey roots. (Video: The Washington Post) In the Senate race to replace retiring Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R), recent polls show Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) with a double-digit lead over Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, a celebrity TV doctor. Oz’s campaign has spent much of the past week fending off attacks about how many homes he owns and enduring online ridicule over a recently resurfaced video in which Oz spoofs the name of a local grocery chain while purportedly buying ingredients for “crutes.” . The spending by the McConnell-linked group comes as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) shifts its TV ad spending in several battleground states, canceling millions of dollars in ad bookings with plans to re-book investments through coordinated spending with campaigns. A Democrat who monitors media purchases, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide the data, said the NRSC this month cut television ad bookings by more than $7 million in Pennsylvania, nearly $3 million in Arizona and more than $2 million in both Wisconsin and Nevada. Another democracy watch market confirmed similar numbers. The changes to ad bookings were first reported by The New York Times earlier this week. The change comes as GOP Senate candidates in some of those states have fallen behind their Democratic rivals in fundraising, potentially hampering their ability to gain airwaves and promote their own candidacies. In Wisconsin, meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R) raised about $7 million to beat Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes’ roughly $2 million in the year’s second quarter, before Barnes’ primary rivals dropped out. This week, Barnes had a slight lead over Johnson, according to a Marquette Law School poll. Barnes has a 51% to 44% lead over Johnson in the poll, larger than Barnes’ margin of two points in June. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Democrats see the Wisconsin race as one of their top chances to pick up a Senate seat. Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.

title: “Mcconnell Warns Gop May Not Win Senate As Group Affiliated With Him Invests Heavily In Ohio Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Jerry Everhart”

Comment Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns that the GOP may not regain control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections — a cycle that would normally be favorable to the party not in power — as the committee political action tied to McConnell is organizing a rescue effort in the Ohio Senate race. Asked Wednesday by reporters in Kentucky about his midterm predictions, McConnell said there is “probably a higher chance of flipping the House than the Senate.” “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide, the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome,” he said, according to NBC News. In a year when Republicans should have the edge over Democrats, especially as President Biden’s approval ratings fall and inflation remains high, the GOP faces surprisingly tight Senate races in many states — even with Republican groups to they provide huge sums of money to help struggling candidates. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee associated with McConnell, is investing $28 million in radio and television ads in Ohio to support Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Atou. New pro-Vance ads will begin rolling out after Labor Day, according to the newspaper, which noted the ad purchase marks a significant increase from the estimated $5 million national Republicans have invested in the Ohio race so far. In 2020, Trump won Ohio by about eight percentage points. But polls have shown an extremely close race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and his Democratic opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan, as they vie for the seat of retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R). Vance’s primary race was funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance at his venture capital firm. But Vance was outscored 4-to-1 by Ryan in the second quarter of 2022. Ryan, a 10-term congressman running for president in 2020, is a seasoned campaigner and moderate Democrat willing to break with the party leadership on some policies, notably trade and China. In response to the GOP spending, Ryan tweeted: “If they are so focused on our race, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on.” Mitch McConnell’s super PAC just announced they are throwing $28 MILLION into Ohio to take down our campaign. If they are so concentrated in our tribe, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance, and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on. — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) August 18, 2022 Ryan also issued a fundraising appeal referring to the GOP investment and the appearance of Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Florida GOP campaign on Friday with Vance, writing: “National Republicans are PANICKING after multiple polls show this race deadlocked — and waiting for DeSandis to attack me personally. This is the beginning of Mitch McConnell’s new strategy to destroy my campaign.” Republicans need to win one seat to take the majority in a 50-50 Senate, in which Vice President Harris is the tie-breaker. The significant investment in a Republican-leaning state for a Republican-held seat is a stunning one for the party 82 days before Election Day. And while the GOP is still favored to hold the Ohio seat in November, the close race is forcing the party to spend money defensively, funds that could otherwise be invested in contesting Democratic-held Senate seats such as Nevada and Colorado. So far, the Senate Leadership Fund has also spent big on the Georgia and Pennsylvania Senate races, investing $37 million and $34.1 million, respectively. But those races are seen as more competitive for Republicans. In Georgia, Republicans are seeking to unseat Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D), whose January 2021 victory helped Democrats achieve their narrow majority in the Senate. However, GOP candidate Herschel Walker — who has come under scrutiny for past lies and revealing several previously undisclosed children — trails Warnock in the polls. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate, teased Republican opponent Mehmet Oz about “clean” markets and his New Jersey roots. (Video: The Washington Post) In the Senate race to replace retiring Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R), recent polls show Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) with a double-digit lead over Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, a celebrity TV doctor. Oz’s campaign has spent much of the past week fending off attacks about how many homes he owns and enduring online ridicule over a recently resurfaced video in which Oz spoofs the name of a local grocery chain while purportedly buying ingredients for “crutes.” . The spending by the McConnell-linked group comes as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) shifts its TV ad spending in several battleground states, canceling millions of dollars in ad bookings with plans to re-book investments through coordinated spending with campaigns. A Democrat who monitors media purchases, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide the data, said the NRSC this month cut television ad bookings by more than $7 million in Pennsylvania, nearly $3 million in Arizona and more than $2 million in both Wisconsin and Nevada. Another democracy watch market confirmed similar numbers. The changes to ad bookings were first reported by The New York Times earlier this week. The change comes as GOP Senate candidates in some of those states have fallen behind their Democratic rivals in fundraising, potentially hampering their ability to gain airwaves and promote their own candidacies. In Wisconsin, meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R) raised about $7 million to beat Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes’ roughly $2 million in the year’s second quarter, before Barnes’ primary rivals dropped out. This week, Barnes had a slight lead over Johnson, according to a Marquette Law School poll. Barnes has a 51% to 44% lead over Johnson in the poll, larger than Barnes’ margin of two points in June. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Democrats see the Wisconsin race as one of their top chances to pick up a Senate seat. Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.

title: “Mcconnell Warns Gop May Not Win Senate As Group Affiliated With Him Invests Heavily In Ohio Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Benjamin Jenkins”

Comment Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns that the GOP may not regain control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections — a cycle that would normally be favorable to the party not in power — as the committee political action tied to McConnell is organizing a rescue effort in the Ohio Senate race. Asked Wednesday by reporters in Kentucky about his midterm predictions, McConnell said there is “probably a higher chance of flipping the House than the Senate.” “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide, the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome,” he said, according to NBC News. In a year when Republicans should have the edge over Democrats, especially as President Biden’s approval ratings fall and inflation remains high, the GOP faces surprisingly tight Senate races in many states — even with Republican groups to they provide huge sums of money to help struggling candidates. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee associated with McConnell, is investing $28 million in radio and television ads in Ohio to support Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Atou. New pro-Vance ads will begin rolling out after Labor Day, according to the newspaper, which noted the ad purchase marks a significant increase from the estimated $5 million national Republicans have invested in the Ohio race so far. In 2020, Trump won Ohio by about eight percentage points. But polls have shown an extremely close race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and his Democratic opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan, as they vie for the seat of retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R). Vance’s primary race was funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance at his venture capital firm. But Vance was outscored 4-to-1 by Ryan in the second quarter of 2022. Ryan, a 10-term congressman running for president in 2020, is a seasoned campaigner and moderate Democrat willing to break with the party leadership on some policies, notably trade and China. In response to the GOP spending, Ryan tweeted: “If they are so focused on our race, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on.” Mitch McConnell’s super PAC just announced they are throwing $28 MILLION into Ohio to take down our campaign. If they are so concentrated in our tribe, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance, and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on. — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) August 18, 2022 Ryan also issued a fundraising appeal referring to the GOP investment and the appearance of Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Florida GOP campaign on Friday with Vance, writing: “National Republicans are PANICKING after multiple polls show this race deadlocked — and waiting for DeSandis to attack me personally. This is the beginning of Mitch McConnell’s new strategy to destroy my campaign.” Republicans need to win one seat to take the majority in a 50-50 Senate, in which Vice President Harris is the tie-breaker. The significant investment in a Republican-leaning state for a Republican-held seat is a stunning one for the party 82 days before Election Day. And while the GOP is still favored to hold the Ohio seat in November, the close race is forcing the party to spend money defensively, funds that could otherwise be invested in contesting Democratic-held Senate seats such as Nevada and Colorado. So far, the Senate Leadership Fund has also spent big on the Georgia and Pennsylvania Senate races, investing $37 million and $34.1 million, respectively. But those races are seen as more competitive for Republicans. In Georgia, Republicans are seeking to unseat Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D), whose January 2021 victory helped Democrats achieve their narrow majority in the Senate. However, GOP candidate Herschel Walker — who has come under scrutiny for past lies and revealing several previously undisclosed children — trails Warnock in the polls. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate, teased Republican opponent Mehmet Oz about “clean” markets and his New Jersey roots. (Video: The Washington Post) In the Senate race to replace retiring Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R), recent polls show Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) with a double-digit lead over Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, a celebrity TV doctor. Oz’s campaign has spent much of the past week fending off attacks about how many homes he owns and enduring online ridicule over a recently resurfaced video in which Oz spoofs the name of a local grocery chain while purportedly buying ingredients for “crutes.” . The spending by the McConnell-linked group comes as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) shifts its TV ad spending in several battleground states, canceling millions of dollars in ad bookings with plans to re-book investments through coordinated spending with campaigns. A Democrat who monitors media purchases, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide the data, said the NRSC this month cut television ad bookings by more than $7 million in Pennsylvania, nearly $3 million in Arizona and more than $2 million in both Wisconsin and Nevada. Another democracy watch market confirmed similar numbers. The changes to ad bookings were first reported by The New York Times earlier this week. The change comes as GOP Senate candidates in some of those states have fallen behind their Democratic rivals in fundraising, potentially hampering their ability to gain airwaves and promote their own candidacies. In Wisconsin, meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R) raised about $7 million to beat Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes’ roughly $2 million in the year’s second quarter, before Barnes’ primary rivals dropped out. This week, Barnes had a slight lead over Johnson, according to a Marquette Law School poll. Barnes has a 51% to 44% lead over Johnson in the poll, larger than Barnes’ margin of two points in June. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Democrats see the Wisconsin race as one of their top chances to pick up a Senate seat. Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.

title: “Mcconnell Warns Gop May Not Win Senate As Group Affiliated With Him Invests Heavily In Ohio Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-19” author: “Ann Falkenhagen”

Comment Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warns that the GOP may not regain control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections — a cycle that would normally be favorable to the party not in power — as the committee political action tied to McConnell is organizing a rescue effort in the Ohio Senate race. Asked Wednesday by reporters in Kentucky about his midterm predictions, McConnell said there is “probably a higher chance of flipping the House than the Senate.” “Senate races are just different, they’re statewide, the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome,” he said, according to NBC News. In a year when Republicans should have the edge over Democrats, especially as President Biden’s approval ratings fall and inflation remains high, the GOP faces surprisingly tight Senate races in many states — even with Republican groups to they provide huge sums of money to help struggling candidates. On Wednesday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee associated with McConnell, is investing $28 million in radio and television ads in Ohio to support Republican Senate candidate JD Vance, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Atou. New pro-Vance ads will begin rolling out after Labor Day, according to the newspaper, which noted the ad purchase marks a significant increase from the estimated $5 million national Republicans have invested in the Ohio race so far. In 2020, Trump won Ohio by about eight percentage points. But polls have shown an extremely close race between Vance, a venture capitalist and author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” and his Democratic opponent, Rep. Tim Ryan, as they vie for the seat of retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R). Vance’s primary race was funded in part by billionaire Peter Thiel, who previously employed Vance at his venture capital firm. But Vance was outscored 4-to-1 by Ryan in the second quarter of 2022. Ryan, a 10-term congressman running for president in 2020, is a seasoned campaigner and moderate Democrat willing to break with the party leadership on some policies, notably trade and China. In response to the GOP spending, Ryan tweeted: “If they are so focused on our race, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on.” Mitch McConnell’s super PAC just announced they are throwing $28 MILLION into Ohio to take down our campaign. If they are so concentrated in our tribe, that means we must be doing something right. Here’s my message to Mitch McConnell, JD Vance, and the rest of the GOP: Bring it on. — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) August 18, 2022 Ryan also issued a fundraising appeal referring to the GOP investment and the appearance of Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Florida GOP campaign on Friday with Vance, writing: “National Republicans are PANICKING after multiple polls show this race deadlocked — and waiting for DeSandis to attack me personally. This is the beginning of Mitch McConnell’s new strategy to destroy my campaign.” Republicans need to win one seat to take the majority in a 50-50 Senate, in which Vice President Harris is the tie-breaker. The significant investment in a Republican-leaning state for a Republican-held seat is a stunning one for the party 82 days before Election Day. And while the GOP is still favored to hold the Ohio seat in November, the close race is forcing the party to spend money defensively, funds that could otherwise be invested in contesting Democratic-held Senate seats such as Nevada and Colorado. So far, the Senate Leadership Fund has also spent big on the Georgia and Pennsylvania Senate races, investing $37 million and $34.1 million, respectively. But those races are seen as more competitive for Republicans. In Georgia, Republicans are seeking to unseat Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D), whose January 2021 victory helped Democrats achieve their narrow majority in the Senate. However, GOP candidate Herschel Walker — who has come under scrutiny for past lies and revealing several previously undisclosed children — trails Warnock in the polls. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate, teased Republican opponent Mehmet Oz about “clean” markets and his New Jersey roots. (Video: The Washington Post) In the Senate race to replace retiring Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R), recent polls show Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) with a double-digit lead over Republican candidate Mehmet Oz, a celebrity TV doctor. Oz’s campaign has spent much of the past week fending off attacks about how many homes he owns and enduring online ridicule over a recently resurfaced video in which Oz spoofs the name of a local grocery chain while purportedly buying ingredients for “crutes.” . The spending by the McConnell-linked group comes as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) shifts its TV ad spending in several battleground states, canceling millions of dollars in ad bookings with plans to re-book investments through coordinated spending with campaigns. A Democrat who monitors media purchases, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide the data, said the NRSC this month cut television ad bookings by more than $7 million in Pennsylvania, nearly $3 million in Arizona and more than $2 million in both Wisconsin and Nevada. Another democracy watch market confirmed similar numbers. The changes to ad bookings were first reported by The New York Times earlier this week. The change comes as GOP Senate candidates in some of those states have fallen behind their Democratic rivals in fundraising, potentially hampering their ability to gain airwaves and promote their own candidacies. In Wisconsin, meanwhile, Sen. Ron Johnson (R) raised about $7 million to beat Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes’ roughly $2 million in the year’s second quarter, before Barnes’ primary rivals dropped out. This week, Barnes had a slight lead over Johnson, according to a Marquette Law School poll. Barnes has a 51% to 44% lead over Johnson in the poll, larger than Barnes’ margin of two points in June. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. Democrats see the Wisconsin race as one of their top chances to pick up a Senate seat. Hannah Knowles contributed to this report.