Former President Donald Trump's endorsement has brought J.D. Vance more than just authenticity in the Senate GOP primary. It has also brought more millions into the campaign from billionaire backer Peter Thiel.
Thiel, a longtime Trump supporter, has donated $3.5 million to Protect Ohio Values, a super PAC that is backing Vance, a source told Politico Tuesday.
Thiel, 54, was the co-founder of PayPal and an early Facebook investor. He had already pumped $10 million into Protect Ohio Values, according to the report.
Both primary candidates Mike Gibbons and Josh Mandel are vying for support from Trump's America First voters, and both had more cash than Vance before Trump's endorsement.
The Ohio GOP Senate primary is May 3 and Vance had reported just $1.6 million in his war chest at the end of March, according to Politico.
Protect Ohio Values reportedly had just $300,000 left in the tank after the initial Thiel donation, battling the Club for Growth PAC that was backing Mandel and reminding MAGA (Make America Great Again) voters Vance was once a vocal public critic of Trump.
With the new donations, Protect Ohio Values has booked $1.3 million in ads in Ohio this week, according to AdImpact.
Thiel is also backing Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters with a $10 million donation to a super PAC backing him.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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