Self-funders in Illinois, Ohio up with ads

A couple of wealthy long shot Senate candidates are up with their first ads.

Car dealer Tom Ganley, who is challenging former Rep. Rob Portman in Ohio's GOP Senate primary, announced this morning that he is going up with his first ad.

And in Illinois, self-funding attorney Jacob Meister (D) is up with his first ad (above). It features video of him personally showing up to file his petitions recently. Meister self-funded $1 million in the third quarter.

Ganley's ad highlights his job creation bona fides and his personal bio. It's not clear how much money is behind it. He has threatened to self-fund millions, and he put about $120,000 into his campaign in the third quarter.

"Everywhere I go my conservative message of creating jobs, cutting taxes, and reducing the Federal budget deficit is resonating with voters," Ganley said in a statement. "Supporters from around the state and around the country are coming to my website and signing up to help our campaign. Today, we decided to increase the volume of the message and reach out to even more voters."