Who’s Funding #1 in Ohio?

Ohio Issue 1 supporters raised and spent far more than opponents because both sides benefit from out-of-state black money

Supporters of Ohio Issue 1, which would overhaul how congressional and statehouse districts are drawn, have raised and spent significantly more than opponents because both sides benefit from out-of-state dark money.

Ohio State’s No. 1 explained: what is it Would gerrymandering stop?

Ohio’s Issue 1 would replace elected officials with a 15-member citizens commission to draw the state’s legislative and congressional districts. The proposed constitutional amendment would also change the way districts are drawn, emphasizing that the maps must closely match how Ohioans voted in recent statewide elections.

Opponents say Ohio should keep the status quo: a commission of seven elected officials tasked with redistricting.

As the campaigns enter their final week, here’s where the money race is at:

How much money did Da raise at number 1?

The campaign for Ohio Issue 1 is called Citizens Not Politicians. The campaign has raised nearly $40 million since it began last September.

Of that amount, nearly $7 million came from Ohio donors and organizations, according to campaign finance filings through mid-October. The Washington, DC-based groups have spent nearly $15 million on the campaign to date.

How much money did Da spend on number 1?

Citizens Not Politicians spent more than $37 million to pass the proposed constitutional amendment.

Major expenditures include approximately $25 million for advertising, including TV commercials; $7 million to signature gathering firm Advanced Micro Targeting and $1.1 million to The Pivot Group for direct mail.

These figures are updated to mid-October. Any additional spending will not be reported until after the November 5 election.

Who are the top donors to Yes on Number 1?

Major donors to Ohio Issue 1 include out-of-state progressive groups and unions that typically support Democratic candidates. The list includes:

U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign donated $25,000 to No. 1 in late August, according to campaign finance records. Jeffries could become the next speaker of the House if Democrats regain control of the chamber.

Earlier this year, Ohio’s GOP-controlled Legislature passed a law barring aliens, including green card holders, from contributing to get-out-the-vote campaigns. That law was challenged in court but maintained on appeal.

This law was targeted Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss who donated millions to liberal groups, including $135 million to the Sixteen Thirty Fund between spring 2016 and spring 2020, according to the New York Times. Wyss lives in Wyoming using a visa rather than a permanent resident, according to a complaint challenging his fundraising.

What are Citizens Not Politicians saying about fundraising?

“Yes, on the 1st, the momentum is turning to the last part of the campaign,” said Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican who helped craft the amendment. “This report shows that Ohioans are ready to insert an explicit ban on gerrymandering into the Ohio Constitution and put citizens, not politicians, in charge of drawing legislative maps, which we will accomplish by voting Yes on Issue 1.”

How much money did No on Issue 1 raise?

The campaign against Ohio Issue 1 is called Ohio Works. (It has a name nearly identical to a group involved in the 2018 Ohio speaker race but a spokeswoman said it’s not the same organization.) The campaign has raised $5.6 million since late August.

Of that amount, $2.7 million came from Ohio donors and organizations. Donors in Washington, DC contributed another $2.1 million, according to campaign finance reports.

How much money did No spend on number 1?

Ohio Works spent $4.5 million to defeat No. 1 through mid-October, according to campaign finance reports.

Almost all of this money was spent on TV advertising with Strategic media placement and mailers and other advertisements with Majority strategiestwo firms that work with Republicans.

Ohio Works also paid $70,000 for Agincourt Political Consultants where former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Paduchik is chairman.

Who are No on Issue 1’s top donors?

Major donors to Ohio Works include out-of-state conservative groups. The list includes:

US Fund for Jobs and Growtha black money group in Washington, DC, which opposed the legalization of marijuana in Ohio and donated to a group supporting Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s Senate bid: $1.75 million
Ohioans for a Healthy Economyan independent spending group with ties to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce that opposes Issue 1: $1 million
American Action Networka conservative group that supports Republicans running for Congress: $400,000.
They also donated to campaigns for members of Congress. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan’s campaign donated $250,000 to oppose Issue 1. The campaigns for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer each gave $100,000. Ohio Rep. Mike Carey’s campaign gave $75,000.

Other donors included Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew owner Jimmy Haslam and Greif heiress Ginni Ragan, a longtime Ohio House Republican policy donor. 55 Green Meadows, a money laundering group with ties to Ohio nursing homes, donated $250,000.

The Ohio Republican Party also spent money to defeat Issue 1, including paying for yard signs.

What does Ohio Works say about fundraising?

“We knew we were going to be outspent,” Ohio Works spokesman Matt Dole said. “We are an Ohio-led campaign. We still feel confident on election day.”

Ohio Works filed its campaign finance report after Thursday’s 4 p.m. deadline. Dole said the campaign had received guidance that it could file by midnight.

Jessie Balmert covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other Ohio affiliate news organizations.