Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley turned on the fundraising spigot in the final months of his reelection campaign against challenger Matthew Ahn.
O’Malley raised $142,700 this year, more than twice the $65,666 that Ahn brought in, according to unaudited filings with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. The filing covers fundraising and expenditures in January and February.
The incumbent outspent his opponent almost three-to-one. O’Malley reported nearly $230,937 in spending to Ahn’s $83,519. Both candidates spent money on consulting and printing costs for campaign literature. O’Malley has now started buying advertising time on local radio stations.
Ahn, a political newcomer and former law professor, outraised the incumbent last year. But the latest filings show that the financial tide has turned in O’Malley’s favor.
The prosecutor tapped several business leaders for large donations. Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, restaurateur Tony George, and developer and philanthropist Albert Ratner each gave $10,000. O’Malley’s financial report mistakenly listed Ratner as “Alfred Lerner,” the former Browns owner who died in 2002.
Edward Crawford – a Republican donor who served as President Donald Trump’s U.S. ambassador to Ireland – also wrote a $10,000 check.
O’Malley’s largest backer was Robert Kanner, a local businessman who gave the incumbent prosecutor’s campaign $50,000 this year. Eight years ago, O’Malley criticized then-Prosecutor Timothy McGinty for relying heavily on Kanner for campaign funds. The tables appear to have turned. Kanner, who has supported Signal Cleveland, also gave O’Malley $50,000 last year.
In 2023, Ahn notched a couple of five-figure checks while drawing on a base of smaller donors. In the latest filing, Ahn’s largest contributions were just more than $5,000.
The two candidates clashed earlier this week in a debate at the City Club of Cleveland. Ahn took O’Malley to task over juvenile charging practices and wrongful convictions. O’Malley defended his experience in government and portrayed Ahn as too green for the job.
Democratic voters will decide between the two candidates in the March 19 primary. The winner will face a GOP opponent in November. The only Republican in the race is local attorney Anthony Alto, who filed to run as a write-in – and who contributed to O’Malley’s campaign last year.
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