Dem favorite wins Ohio Senate primary, will face Rep. Portman

Despite polls that showed him leading by between 17 and 20 points in the final days of the campaign, Fisher led Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner 55.5-44.5 with 53 percent of precincts reporting. Fisher vastly outspent Brunner, but he comes away from the primary with only a modest win.

Fisher spent more than three times as much as Brunner — about $3 million total, according to the most recent finance reports. Brunner couldn’t raise much money and didn’t have any sustained media presence.

Fisher also struggled down the stretch with poor fundraising, though not as much as Brunner. He raised less than one-fourth of what former Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) raised in the first quarter. Democrats say the end of the primary should free up reluctant donors who didn’t want to choose sides, and they expect Fisher’s fundraising to pick up.

Portman faced no primary and enters the general election slightly behind in some polls, but with a $7.6 million war chest. Fisher’s campaign account will likely have less than $1 million.

Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) is retiring. The race is considered a toss-up.