TV cameras capture Sen. Rob Portman during an event at the National Institute for Occupations Safety and Health last April. Portman is launching a massive ad campaign ahead of what is expected to be a hotly contested Senate race against former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. | AP Photo Sen. Portman makes huge $15 million ad buy in Ohio

Sen. Rob Portman is reserving $15 million in advertising for his reelection campaign, by far the largest sum of money committed to a single Senate race in this year’s contest for Senate control, campaign officials told POLITICO.

The Ohio Republican is launching a shock and awe campaign that plows $14 million into statewide television advertising and $1 million into YouTube programming, a total that Democratic former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland may struggle to match. Portman is one of the most prodigious fundraisers in the country and had $13.4 million on hand at the end of March, while Strickland had $2.7 million.


“The days of Ted Strickland hiding from his awful record are over — every Ohio voter will soon learn why Ted is the worst Senate candidate in America,” said Portman campaign manager Corry Bliss.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also reserved about $6 million in Ohio, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has committed $10 million to the Buckeye State to aid Strickland. Ohio is expected to be contested bitterly in the presidential campaign, which has led the NRSC, DSCC and Portman to commit money this spring while ad buys are cheaper.

Outside groups are already bruising both senators to the tune of $11 million, according to the latest tally by the Federal Election Commission, and Portman's campaign is in the middle of a months-long digital buy hitting Strickland on everything from the Iran nuclear deal to job losses when he was governor. The most recent polls show the race is essentially a statistical tie.

Strickland has not yet announced his fall ad buys.

Portman's heavy spending may prove necessary in the contest. Ohio is divided into 12 separate media markets, making buys there expensive and building name identification difficult even as a statewide official. While Portman has held high-profile positions in D.C., his initial 2010 election was a sleepy race and polls have typically found roughly 2-in-5 voters don't know enough about him to express an opinion.

And with the possibility of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sinking GOP chances down-ballot, strategists have said it's crucial for senators to develop their own brand separate from the party.

"Given the fact that 40 percent of voters can’t pick Sen. Portman out of a lineup, it’ll cost him at least $15 million to fix his embarrassing lack of name identification. Portman and his allies have already spent up to $17 million while our campaign has spent no money on paid television ads — and they’ve been unable to dislodge Ted’s standing in the polls," said David Bergstein, a spokesman for Strickland.

Strickland has struggled with fundraising. While most voters still have a favorable view of the former governor, it's likely Republicans will be able to outgun him significantly in the fall, and Portman's campaign is trumpeting their unprecedented data and ground game work.

"We're gonna be getting our message out. That's what the ad buy is about," Portman said. "We've already done unprecedented grass roots, we're at 1.8 million voters contacted."

Portman’s TV spots will feature ads tailored to different parts of the state and will begin airing in June. Portman has also run targeted banner ads on Web sites and ads on Instagram.

On Tuesday Strickland launched six-second, non-skippable YouTube ads that attack Portman for being the “best senator China’s ever had.”

