The only issue going before Ohio voters statewide this November, Issue 1, drew multi-millions in contributions both for and against it, according to recent filing documents.
Ohio’s U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, and Bernie Moreno, a Republican, will take the title for most costly this cycle, breaking state records and ranking nationally for the money coming in and going out.
Still, the Oct. 24 filings with Secretary of State Frank LaRose show Issue 1 is commanding some serious cash and attention. Citizens Not Politicians—the coalition behind the constitutional amendment proposing a 15-member independent commission take over the political mapmaking process—outraised Ohio Works, which wants to kill the effort, by nearly double.
From July 1 to Oct. 16, the official Citizens Not Politicians committee recorded $10.9 million in contributions. Citizens Not Politicians reported spending even more than that, with no cash on hand, although a spokesperson said they continue to fundraise.
Some of its biggest donors included national labor unions, like the AFL-CIO and United Autoworkers, and advocacy organizations largely outside of Ohio.
“This report shows that Ohioans are ready to place an explicit ban on gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution and put citizens not politicians in charge of drawing legislative maps, which we will accomplish by voting Yes on Issue 1,” retired Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said in a statement.
In that same timeframe, the official Ohio Works committee took in $5.6 million and reported spending $4.6 million, leaving them with about $1 million cash on hand.
Its major donors included the Ohio Oil and Gas Association and some in-state and non-Ohio GOP Congressional reelection committees, like those of Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana.
“The campaign finance reports showed what we anticipated. No on Issue 1 is Ohio powered and driven by the confidence that voters will read the ballot language and reject misinformation by voting no,” Ohio Works spokesperson Matt Dole said in a statement.
Ohio Works saw far fewer small donors. Only 10 individuals gave less than $200, versus the more than 1,500 donors who gave less than $200 to Citizens Not Politicians.
If it passes, Issue 1 would overhaul how Ohio handles legislative redistricting by throwing out the current process, in which elected officials on the Ohio Redistricting Commission draw the districts for congressional and Ohio General Assembly races. The current commission has seven members, including the governor, secretary of state, auditor, and four legislative appointees—currently five Republicans and two Democrats.
The state would then establish a new independent commission of 15 members: five Republicans, five Democrats and five independents.
