With four months still to go, the match between Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican state treasurer Josh Mandel is already the most expensive U.S. Senate campaign ever in Ohio – at $25 million. Brown brought in $3 million between April 1 and the end of June to a total of $15.4 million. Mandel has raised $9.9 million, a little over $2.5 million of that from April through June. 

At an appearance before supporters last month, Mandel said he would be outspent by Brown’s team.

“There’s no way in the world we’re going to have as much money as they are," he said.

But Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern says Mandel’s supporters in the SuperPACs will spend what he calls a torrent of outside money, "widening the gap between Josh Mandel’s special interest friends and groups supporting Sherrod Brown to an incredible 4-1 margin.”

The outside spending against Brown, helping Mandel, is estimated at $10.5 million, with $2.5 million spent against Mandel in favor of Brown.