"Republican incumbent Rob Portman built a big lead in the polls over former Gov. Ted Strickland after flurry of ads painting the Democrat as anti-coal."

"The ability of super PACs and advocacy groups to paint Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Ted Strickland, a coal region native, as an opponent of the coal industry has helped to turn a once-close contest into a near-runaway for incumbent Republican Rob Portman.

Outside groups have spent $32 million, most of it since May, to re-elect Portman, outspending the organizations supporting Strickland by a 2-1 margin. Nearly 40 percent of Portman's windfall came from the Freedom Partners Action Fund and Americans for Prosperity, two groups in the billionaire libertarian Koch brothers' network of political nonprofits, an analysis of Federal Election Commission disclosures shows.

Charles and David Koch have waged a well-funded battle on multiple fronts to undercut climate science, environmental regulations and clean energy."

Marianne Lavelle reports for InsideClimate News September 27, 2016. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Clinton Criticism Of Coal Boosts Trump In Struggling Southeastern Ohio" (Columbus Dispatch) [3]