WARREN, Ohio — Tim Ryan, the northeast Ohio congressman who is running for the Democratic nomination in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, raised $2.9 million in the final quarter of 2021.

The haul marks Ryan’s highest yet since entering the race last April. He enters 2022 with $5 million cash on hand.

Ryan’s campaign said Friday that 97% of donations in the final three months of 2021 were $100 or less and more than 26,000 people donated to him for the first time in the last quarter of the year.

The campaign also reported that donations came in from every county in Ohio.

“We’re proud to be entering 2022 with historic grassroots support from people in all 88 counties,” spokesperson Izzi Levy said in a statement to Spectrum News. “Ohioans know how important this year’s election is, which is why they’re coming together to support Tim Ryan in this critical race.”

Ryan is proving himself to be a leading fundraiser in the competitive race to succeed retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R).

Ryan raised $1.2 million in the first quarter of 2021, $2.3 million in the second quarter and $2.5 million in the third quarter.

In the third quarter, Ryan out-raised all six Republicans in the race as well as his only primary opponent, progressive attorney Morgan Harper, who reported raising $533,000 in the first six weeks of her campaign.

Ryan’s campaign said his third- and fourth-quarter fundraising totals set new records for a Senate candidate in Ohio raising money in a non-election year.

In addition to his fundraising, Ryan has been endorsed by fellow Ohio Democrats in Congress Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Joyce Beatty and Rep. Marcy Kaptur.

On the Republican side of the ticket, six independently-wealthy candidates are seeking the GOP nomination.

As of publication, none of the six had made their fourth quarter fundraising totals public.

In the third quarter last fall, author and venture capitalist JD Vance led the GOP field with $1.65 million raised; former state treasurer Josh Mandel raised $1.1 million; former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken brought in $700,000 from donors; luxury car dealer Bernie Moreno raised $700,000; and investment banker Mike Gibbons earned $133,000 from supporters.

Timken, Moreno and Gibbons have each loaned their campaign millions from their own personal fortunes.

State Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, entered the race last and has not yet had to report his quarterly fundraising.