Democrat Ted Strickland attended a fundraiser for his Ohio Senate campaign in Washington, D.C., Tuesday evening that was held by a top executive at the Center for American Progress, his former employer.
Arkadi Gerney, A senior vice president at the liberal think tank, hosted the reception, which guests paid a minimum $250 to attend but were elevated to the level of "host" for contributions of $2,700, according to the invitation. Gerney has already contributed the maximum $2,700 to Strickland’s primary bid, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Strickland, a former governor of Ohio, headed the Center for American Progress Action Fund for less than a year before launching his Senate campaign. He earned more than $250,000 for his work there between April 2014 and March of this year.
Strickland has netted an impressive amount of campaign cash from the D.C. area despite falling short of his advisers’ expectations. According to a Washington Free Beacon analysis, the Democratic candidate raised over $170,000 from donors in the Washington area in the first three-quarters of 2015, much of it coming from wealthy consultants, lobbyists, and attorneys.
Nine of Strickland’s D.C. contributors are among Hillary Clinton’s most elite bundlers, the so-called "Hillblazers," who have raised upwards of $100,000 for the Democratic presidential candidate. Several employees at the Center for American Progress, based in the nation’s capital, have also contributed to Strickland’s campaign.
The event invitation advertises Strickland’s prominent supporters, including President Bill Clinton, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Ohio Democratic Party.
The fundraiser was held by Gerney and his spouse, Nancy Meakem, at an undisclosed location. The pair lives in a six-bedroom, $1.4 million home in Washington, D.C., according to the website BlockShopper.
Strickland has previously advertised his extensive fundraising trips. He told a crowd at a Democratic Party event in Cincinnati last month that an upcoming tour would include stops in five major cities, including Washington.
"I’ve got to leave soon after I speak. … I’m going to Miami tomorrow … and then I’m going to be in Fort Lauderdale, and then I’m flying to New York, and then I’m having a fundraiser in New York, and then I’m going to spend two days in New York, and then I’m going to Boston, and then I’m going back to New York," Strickland said. "Then, I’m going to Washington, D.C."