Former Ohio Appeals Court Judge Bill O’Neill (D) announced Wednesday that he raised more than $100,000 in the third quarter of the year, a number his campaign says is a record for first-time candidates in Ohio’s 14th district. O’Neill’s campaign said the former judge will report having about $78,000 in cash on hand through Sept. 30.

The only Democrat to file thus far for the race, O’Neill is seen by many party leaders as the likely challenger to Rep. Steven LaTourette (R), whose campaign said it still is calculating his third-quarter financial report.

O’Neill campaign manager Toby Fallsgraff said the Democrat’s financial showing “casts aside any doubt that Bill O’Neill can raise the kind of money needed to win in a competitive Congressional race.”

A former appeals court judge, O’Neill refused to take any financial contribution in his 2006 race for the Ohio Supreme Court, saying “money and judges don’t mix.”

O’Neill does not yet have any competition for the nod.

— Shira Toeplitz