Nearly 40 percent of the $1.065 million raised by Cincinnati's field of 26 council candidates is in the hands of two candidates — Republican incumbent Pat DeWine and first-time Democratic candidate David Pepper.

        According to campaign finance reports filed Friday at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, Mr. DeWine — the son of U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and a candidate for a second term on council — has already raised $220,866.

        Mr. Pepper, a lawyer whose father is Procter & Gamble board chairman John Pepper, has raised $178,428 — far more than any other council challenger.

        The Pepper campaign's money came from 860 individuals and political action committees (PACs) and ran the gamut from Republican businessmen like Carl Lindner ($1,000) and Cintas chairman Richard Farmer ($1,000) to celebrities like TV talk show host Rosie O'Donnell, a family friend who gave the Democratic council candidate $2,500.

        “We've gotten all sorts of people involved in this campaign,” Mr. Pepper said.

        Included in Mr. DeWine's campaign contributions was a $5,000 check from a prominent Democratic fund-raiser, lawyer Stan Chesley. Mr. Chesley is best known for raising money for the national Democratic party, but he has also supported the Republican councilman's father in U.S. Senate campaigns.

        The only other council candidate who has broken into six-figure fund-raising is Democratic incumbent John Cranley, whose report showed that he has raised $106,448 so far. Mr. Cranley said that his campaign has raised an additional $28,000 since the Aug. 28 cut-off date for the latest report.

        Mr. Lindner, a Republican, gave Mr. Cranley's campaign $5,000. He also received $2,500 from Mr. Chesley, a Democrat.

        Chris Monzel, a Republican who was appointed to a council seat in February, is just under the six-figure mark in fund-raising. He has raised $99,746 so far.

        Other incumbent Democrats lag considerably behind in fund-raising.

        Alicia Reece, the Democrat seeking a second term, has raised $80,375 so far, including $5,000 from Mr. Lindner and several unions — the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which gave her $6,000, Laborers Local 265 ($5,000) and AFSCME, the union representing many city workers ($1,000).

        Vice Mayor Minette Cooper, who is running for her last term on council before reaching her term limit, has raised $44,440 so far, with $4,500 from IBEW, $4,000 from the Plumbers and Pipefitters union, and $5,000 from Laborers Local 265.

        Democratic incumbent Paul Booth lags far behind even most non-incumbents in fund-raising. He has raised $21,329. Mr. Lindner and Laborers Local 265 contributed $5,000 each to the Booth campaign, accounting for nearly half his money.

        Democratic challenger David Crowley has raised $67,097, while two other Democratic challengers, Jane Anderson and Lawra Baumann, have raised $61,442 and $65,997 respectively.

        Charterite incumbent Jim Tarbell has raised $37,430 so far. Two Charterite challengers, John Schlagetter and Dawn Denno, have raised $10,232 and $39,662 respectively.

Saving My Gal Sal
Taft searches for school funds
Decision means Ohio to pay millions more
Candidates hash it out
Bells come to towns
DeWine, Pepper lead fund-raising
Priest guided future XU president
Child support scofflaw ordered to prison
Teen-ager recovering from lightning strike
Tristate A.M. Report
Turpin High apologizes for slurs
HOWARD: Neighborhoods
MCNUTT: Warren County
Ballot suit thrown out
Board seeks leader widely
Diversity goes suburban
Hamilton man sues Bayer over medicine
Yorkies and owners strutting their stuff
Dispute over lot may cost suburb
Shooting suspect, 84, ends standoff
Traficant claims he has secret evidence
AIDS' spread among blacks raises flags
Budget cuts hit schools, welfare
Circus mix: thrills, animals, nostalgia
Kentucky News Briefs
Ky. doctor accused of over-prescribing Oxy
Meth labs broken up; 3 charged
Nunn joins a full field
Patton defends office payroll
Photographer didn't stay grounded
Son succeeds dad as Murray State head