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Stories about Ohio

Facebook was paid $19,924 from Ohio campaign accounts; other states reported millions

By Kalyn Stralow
In State
May 22, 2022 at 12:23 PM

In Ohio, state-level candidates and PACs have spent $19,924 from their campaign accounts on services from Facebook in the 2022 election cycle so far. Facebook received 0.03 percent of all reported expenditures. 

According to reports filed with the Ohio Secretary of State between Jan. 1, 2021, and Apr. 13, 2022, here are the top candidates and PACs that have spent campaign funds with Facebook.

Top 10 Ohio campaigns spending money with Facebook

Of the $19,924 spent with Facebook, 90.95 percent came from these 10 campaign accounts.

Top Campaign Expenditures with Facebook (1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022)

RankTotal Paid to FacebookNameAccount Type
1.$9,505.17Joe BlystoneCandidate PAC
2.$2,864.63Casey WeinsteinCandidate PAC
3.$2,249.82Phillip RobinsonCandidate PAC
4.$866.91The MatriotsNon-candidate PAC
5.$594.61Christian JohnsonCandidate PAC
6.$532.83Juanita BrentCandidate PAC
7.$458.88Gary ClickCandidate PAC
8.$378.03Theresa GavaroneCandidate PAC
9.$350.00Pickaway County Patriot AllianceNon-candidate PAC
10.$319.14Summit County Democratic Party Executive Committee Restricted FundNon-candidate PAC

Campaign expenditures with Facebook in 12 states

Campaign expenditures vary widely. Here is how spending with Facebook in Ohio compares to 12 other states with data available from Transparency USA for the most recent election cycle:

Comparison of total campaign finance expenditures with Facebook, by state

RankStateTotal Paid to FacebookReporting Period
1California$5,290,7451/1/2021- 4/23/2022
2Virginia$4,486,8631/1/2020-12/31/2021*
3Texas$2,675,2761/1/2021 – 5/14/2022
4Michigan$194,1801/1/2021 – 4/20/2022
5Minnesota$166,0721/1/2021 – 3/31/2022
6Arizona123,1541/1/2021 – 3/31/2022
7Pennsylvania$106,5131/1/2021 – 3/9/2022
8Wisconsin$101,9781/1/2021 – 3/21/2022
9North Carolina$78,9601/1/2021 – 4/30/2022
10Florida$38,5421/1/2021 – 3/31/202
11Indiana$29,5341/1/2021 – 4/8/2022
12Ohio$19,9241/1/2021 – 4/13/2022
*Virginia’s two-year election cycles end in an odd-numbered year. The first available reports for Virginia’s 2023 election cycle are due Jul. 17, 2022.

While spending varies widely between states, no state on Transparency USA has reported more than 1.06 percent of total campaign expenditures on services from Facebook in the most recent cycle.

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Ohio PACs submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report NameReport Due Date
2021 Annual1/31/2022
2022 Pre-Primary4/21/2022
2022 Post-Primary6/10/2022
2022 Semiannual7/29/2022
2022 Pre-General10/27/2022
2022 Post-General12/16/2022

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



Ohio Secretary of State raises $1.75 million this election cycle

By Kalyn Stralow
In State
May 18, 2022 at 1:27 PM

According to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has raised $1.75 million and spent $581,072 between Jan. 1, 2021 and Apr. 13, 2022. LaRose is currently ranked fifth in state-level donations in the 2022 election cycle.

LaRose is a member of the Republican Party and assumed office in 2019. In Ohio, the secretary of state is an elected position. Duties vary by state but are generally administrative in nature and may include recordkeeping, certification of state documents, and serving as chief election official. LaRose is running for reelection in 2022.

LaRose’s reported campaign finance activity, by quarter (2017-2022)

Source: Transparency USA

Contributions to LaRose

Of the $1,747,725 already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 9.26 percent came from the top 10 donors.

Top Donors to LaRose (1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022)

RankTotal AmountDonor NameDonor Type
1.$39,116.78Orp PACENTITY
2.$15,000.00Susan B and James A Haslam IIIINDIVIDUAL
3.$13,704.41John PritzkerINDIVIDUAL
4.$13,704.41Reid Garrett HoffmanINDIVIDUAL
5.$13,700.00Adam A ThomariosINDIVIDUAL
6.$13,700.00Heather L WrightselINDIVIDUAL
7.$13,700.00Jason S LucarelliINDIVIDUAL
8.$13,700.00Thomas A LaroseINDIVIDUAL
9.$13,000.00Samuel R WaltonINDIVIDUAL
10.$12,500.00Thrive Companies PACENTITY

Expenditures by LaRose

On the expenditures side, LaRose reported $581,072, with 73.88 percent of all spending going to the 10 payees topping this list. 

Top Expenditures by LaRose (1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022)

RankTotal AmountPayee NamePayee Type
1.$100,000.00Strategic Media Placement IncENTITY
2.$84,417.28Dudley GroupENTITY
3.$70,500.00Red Brick StrategiesENTITY
4.$42,500.00Apx StrategiesENTITY
5.$35,286.67Right Digital LLCENTITY
6.$31,500.00Advictory LLCENTITY
7.$25,812.49Strategy Group for Media IncENTITY
8.$14,662.73Qwestcom Graphics IncENTITY
9.$12,615.24StripeENTITY
10.$12,000.00Fulcrum Campaign StrategiesENTITY

How donations to LaRose compare to the same office in other states

Contributions vary widely among officeholders in the same role. A number of factors, including whether the position is appointed or elected, can influence donor activity. Here is how LaRose compares to the 10 other state and commonwealth secretaries with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022:

Across the U.S., 27 secretaries of state are members of the Republican Party and 20 are members of the Democratic Party. Voters elect the secretary of state in 35 states, while they are appointed by either the governor or state legislature in the other 12. Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah do not have secretaries of state. In 2022, 27 states are holding elections for the position.

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Ohio PACs submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report NameReport Due Date
2021 Annual1/31/2022
2022 Pre-Primary4/21/2022
2022 Post-Primary6/10/2022
2022 Semiannual7/29/2022
2022 Pre-General10/27/2022
2022 Post-General12/16/2022

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



Here are the top 10 places Ohio candidates and PACs are spending campaign money

By Kalyn Stralow
In State
May 8, 2022 at 7:00 AM

In Ohio politics, state-level candidates and PACs spent $59.24 million between Jan. 1, 2021, and Apr. 13, 2022. More than $10.65 million or 17.98 percent of all campaign finance expenditures went to the 10 payees at the top of the list. 

A payee is an entity or individual who has received money from a campaign account. Candidates and PACs must report campaign expenditures, including payments to vendors, donations to other campaign accounts, and bank transfers, to the Ohio Secretary of State.

Top 10 Ohio payees (1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022)

Here are the top 10 recipients of Ohio campaign money in the 2022 election cycle, as of the most recent reports. 

RankPayee Name Total Received
1.SRCP Media Inc$2,352,953.88
2.Al Media$1,633,120.00
3.Sage Media$1,202,723.10
4.Ascent Media LLC$1,108,185.84
5.Advanced Micro Targeting Inc$1,050,000.00
6.Left Hook Communications$1,000,000.00
7.Paychex$715,733.82
8.National Payment Corporation$576,729.83
9.Minnesota Democratic Farm Labor Party$560,000.00
10.Red Brick Strategies$451,001.96

Total Expenditures in nine states during the 2022 election cycle

Campaign finance expenditures vary widely among state-level candidates and PACs. A number of factors, including state-specific campaign finance regulations, influence how expenditure activity varies across states. Here is how total campaign finance expenditures in Ohio compared to eight other states with data available from Transparency USA for the 2022 election cycle:

Comparison of total expenditures, by state

RankStateTotal ExpendituresReporting Period
1Texas$337,432,3511/1/2022 – 2/19/2022
2Pennsylvania$319,374,3891/1/2022 – 3/9/2022
3Florida$302,254,1341/1/2022 – 2/28/2022
4Michigan$71,971,7871/1/2022 – 4/20/2022
5Arizona63,716,6171/1/2022 – 3/31/2022
6Ohio$59,240,3971/1/2022 – 4/13/2022
7Wisconsin$34,706,0221/1/2022 – 3/21/2022
8Indiana$32,159,3981/1/2022 – 4/8/2022
9North Carolina$22,543,0371/1/2022 – 12/31/2021

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Ohio PACs submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report NameReport Due Date
2021 Annual1/31/2022
2022 Pre-Primary4/21/2022
2022 Post-Primary6/10/2022
2022 Semiannual7/29/2022
2022 Pre-General10/27/2022
2022 Post-General12/16/2022

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.



Vance wins Ohio Senate Republican primary

By Samuel Wonacott
In State
May 5, 2022 at 11:43 AM

J.D. Vance defeated six other candidates in the May 3 Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Ohio, including Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Josh Mandel, and Jane Timken. Vance received 31.3% of the vote, while Mandel, Dolan, Gibbons, and Timken received 24.3%, 21.9%, 12%, and 6.6%, respectively. Incumbent Rob Portman (R), who was first elected in 2010, did not file to run for re-election. 

Vance will face Democrat Tim Ryan in the Nov. 8 general election. 

Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007, before working in venture capital in San Francisco. In 2016, he wrote Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir about growing up in Middletown, Ohio. Vance campaigned on bringing manufacturing back to Ohio, fixing the country’s immigration system and completing the wall along the southern border, and breaking up large technology companies.

Politico‘s Alex Isenstadt wrote that “[t]he Senate race in Ohio is a high-profile example of how Trump is dominating Republican down-ballot primaries, and how his support is seen as make-or-break for those seeking the party’s nomination.”

For much of the race, Vance lagged behind Mandel and Gibbons in polling. However, following Donald Trump’s (R) April 15 endorsement of his campaign, polls showed Vance in first place. 

The Los Angeles Times’ Melanie Mason wrote Vance’s win will “add another notch to Trump’s tally of winners he’s endorsed — a favorite metric of his — and more broadly, reinforce that his influence remains strong in a state he won handily in both 2016 and 2020.”

In 2020, Trump defeated Joe Biden (D) in Ohio 53.3% to 45.2%. In 2016, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Ohio 51.7% to 43.6%.

Dolan was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 2016. He campaigned on “expanding workplace freedoms, cutting taxes and getting government out of the way of Ohio’s leading job creators,” and fighting “to secure the border with walls, surveillance, virtual capabilities and personnel.” 

Gibbons, a businessman and investor, said his background in the private sector has prepared him for the U.S. Senate. Gibbons co-chaired former President Donald Trump’s (R) 2016 campaign in Ohio, and said “I don’t believe we had a president that did more for this country in my lifetime than Donald Trump did.”

Mandel served as Ohio Treasurer from 2011 to 2019. Mandel said “when I get to Washington, I’m not just going to drain the swamp, I’m going to blow up the swamp. And yes, I’ll be taking on the secular left, yes, I’ll be taking on the radical left. But with as much ferocity and strength and force, I’m going to take on the squishy establishment RINO Republicans,” a group he said included Utah Sen. Mitt Romney (R), Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney (R), and Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R).

Timken served as the chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party from 2017 to 2021. Timken said her experience leading the Ohio Republican Party showed she could unite the party: “As soon as I became chair, I realized that I needed to bring people together. We had new Republicans that came into the party because of President Trump. We had some that drifted away. I successfully unified the party when I became chair, and so I have a real understanding of building a broad base and coalition of support.”

Neil Patel and Mark Pukita also ran in the primary.



Tim Ryan wins Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Ohio

By Joel Williams
In Federal
May 4, 2022 at 9:42 PM

Tim Ryan defeated Morgan Harper and Traci Johnson in the Democratic primary for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat on May 3, 2022. Based on unofficial totals, Ryan received 73% of the vote, Harper received 16% of the vote, and Johnson received 11% of the vote. 

Ryan will face J.D. Vance (R) and five other candidates in the general election on Nov. 8. U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R) did not run for re-election.

Ryan was elected to the U.S. House in 2002. Ryan campaigned on a range of economic issues, including revitalizing the state’s manufacturing industry, a federal $15 minimum wage, the PRO Act, renegotiating existing foreign trade deals, and expanding affordable healthcare. According to the Dayton Daily News, Ryan’s campaign focused primarily on blue-collar workers and issues.

Donald Trump (R) won Ohio by eight percentage points in 2016 and 2020. Portman won re-election in 2016 by 19 percentage points. Sherrod Brown (D), Ohio’s other U.S. senator, last won re-election in 2018 by seven percentage points. Three independent race forecasters consider the race between Lean Republican and Solid Republican.



LaRose defeats Adams in Ohio Secretary of State Republican primary

By Ethan Rice
In State
May 4, 2022 at 8:58 PM

Incumbent Frank LaRose defeated John Adams in the May 3, 2022, Republican Party primary for Ohio Secretary of State. As of Wednesday morning, LaRose had received 66% of the vote to Adams’ 34%. LaRose will face Democratic primary winner Chelsea Clark (D) in the general election on Nov. 8.

LaRose was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 2018, defeating Kathleen Clyde (D) 51% to 47%. He is a U.S. Army veteran and worked as a business manager and project lead for a consulting firm. LaRose represented Ohio State Senate District 27 from 2011 to 2018. LaRose emphasized his experience in the Ohio Senate and as secretary of state, saying he “sponsored legislation to modernize online voter registration, audit election results to verify their accuracy, cut burdensome regulation on small business, and protect our freedoms and values.” LaRose received endorsements from former President Donald Trump (R) and at least 10 members of Congress, including Rep. Bill Johnson (R) and Sen. Rob Portman (R).

Adams is a U.S. Army and U.S. Navy veteran and founder of Francis Furniture Store. He represented Ohio House of Representatives District 85 from 2007 to 2014. Adams also ran for Ohio State Senate District 12 in 2016 but was defeated by Matt Huffman (R) in the Republican primary 64% to 36%. Adams said “there were shenanigans that went on” in the 2020 election and “there are questions that have not been resolved yet.” Adams said he “has had the life experience – as a Navy SEAL, as a small businessman, as a civic leader, as a husband and father – to successfully protect and advance our common values.” Ohio Value Voters, a 501(c)(4) organization whose “purpose has been to educate, inform, and influence voters and elected officials,” endorsed Adams.

Election security and allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 general election were key issues in the race. Adams criticized LaRose for moving the March 2020 Ohio primary elections from March to June and said he ran because “we had an election two years ago, and I woke up the next morning and I said, ‘You gotta be kidding me. There’s no way that Trump lost. No way.'” LaRose said the “mainstream media is trying to minimize voter fraud to suit their narrative” and “President Donald Trump is right to say that voter fraud is a serious problem.”

The secretary is the state’s chief election officer and keeper of the state seal. They license businesses and corporations and keep records of all official gubernatorial actions. A Republican has held the Ohio secretary of state office since 2010, when incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner (D) vacated the office and Jon Husted (R) defeated Maryellen O’Shaughnessy (D) 54% to 42%.



Shontel Brown defeats Nina Turner in OH-11 Democratic primary rematch

By Amee LaTour
In Federal
May 4, 2022 at 8:56 PM

Incumbent Rep. Shontel Brown defeated Nina Turner in the Democratic primary for Ohio’s 11th Congressional District on May 3. As of Wednesday morning, Brown had received 66% of the vote to Turner’s 34%. This was a rematch. Brown defeated Turner 50% to 45% in the Aug. 3, 2021, special primary election.

Brown assumed office in November 2021, succeeding Rep. Marcia Fudge (D), who resigned that year to become U.S. secretary of housing and urban development. Brown said she had progressive bona fides and a commitment to bipartisanship. She said she kept her promise to voters to work with President Joe Biden (D) by voting for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which she said would “repair the bridge on Martin Luther King, replace every lead pipe, create thousands of jobs, and finally, every home in Cleveland will have access to high-speed internet.”

Turner said Brown had not done enough to change the material conditions for poor and low-income residents. Turner said when announcing her second bid for the district, “Voting the right way is one thing, but using the full force and weight of the office to fight for things is another. … And that is a primary difference between me and the person that holds that office.” Turner referred to her work on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Democratic presidential campaigns and said she would fight for Medicare for All, a living wage, and good union jobs.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC endorsed Brown, a change from 2021 when it endorsed Turner. Brown became a member of the caucus after she took office. Brown’s other endorsers included President Joe Biden (D), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D), Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb (D), and the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC. Turner’s endorsers included Sanders, former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson (D), and the cleveland.com editorial board.



J.R. Majewski wins Republican primary in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District

By Douglas Kronaizl
In Federal
May 4, 2022 at 8:48 PM

J.R. Majewski defeated three other candidates—including two state lawmakers, Rep. Craig Riedel and Sen. Theresa Gavarone—on May 3 to win the Republican nomination for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. Majewski will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D), first elected in 1982, in the general election on Nov. 8.

In the primary, Majewski led the field with 36% of the vote followed by Riedel with 31% and Gavarone with 29%. A fourth candidate, Beth Deck, received 5% of the vote.

Majewski worked in the nuclear industry in project management positions and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1999 to 2003. He received endorsements from U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and political consultant Roger Stone.

In a Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia, Majewski described himself as “the America First Candidate” and said we would “Bring back good paying American jobs … Maintain a strong national defense and stop the endless wars.” Read Majewski’s full responses here.

Under maps most recently approved during Ohio’s redistricting process, the 9th Congressional District—which race forecasters rated Solid Democratic in 2020—will lean more Republican this year.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the district now has an average margin difference six points more Republican than that of the nation. Race forecasters now describe the general election as a Toss-up.

These new congressional district lines are currently subject to a state lawsuit. On March 29, the Ohio Supreme Court set a schedule for this case in which it expected to review the map plans after the May 3 primaries.



Ohio Republican lawmakers introduce bill to ban divisive concepts from public schools

By Molly Byrne
In State
May 2, 2022 at 12:17 PM

Reps. Mike Loychik (R) and Jean Schmidt (R) on April 4, 2022, introduced a bill in the Ohio House of Representatives that aims to ban curriculum that promotes divisive or racist concepts in public schools. The bill provides a list of prohibited topics including critical race theory; intersectionality; diversity, equity, and inclusion learning outcomes; and “any other concept that the state board of education defines as divisive or inherently racist.” It also bans curriculum on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade.

Schmidt said in support of the bill, “The classroom is a place that seeks answers for our children without political activism. Parents deserve and should be provided a say in what is taught to their children in schools. The intent of this bill is to provide them with the tools to be able to see what their child is being taught.” Loychik added, “This legislation promotes free and fair discussion.”

Ohio Education Association (OEA) President Scott DiMauro on April 5 released a statement opposing HB 616. DiMauro said, “These politicians are continuing to use race and sexual orientation as wedge issues to score cheap political points, and they should be ashamed of themselves. Rather than persisting with these disingenuous attacks on educators and public schools, we need pro-public education policies that enable students to think critically about the world around them and empower them to be proud of who they are, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they express their gender identities, or who they – or their parents – love.”

There had not been further consideration of the bill since it was introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives, as of April 21, 2022.

Additional Reading:



Ohio Senate District 23 candidates raise most money ahead of May 3 primary

By Joel Williams
In State
April 30, 2022 at 10:45 AM

Elections for 17 of 33 seats in the Ohio State Senate will take place on November 8, 2022. State senatorial primary elections are held on May 3, 2022. Republicans hold a 25-8 majority heading into the election.

This article details the five most and least expensive contested primary elections in the State Senate. In the 2022 election cycle, 3 of 17 Republican primaries and 6 of 14 Democratic primaries are contested.

This information comes from candidate reports to the Ohio Secretary of State covering the period of Jan. 1, 2021, through Apr. 13, 2022.

Five primary elections with the most fundraising

#1 District 23 – $218,170

Incumbent Nickie Antonio (D) raised $218,170 and Jeffrey Johnson (D) raised $0.

#2 District 17 – $146,504

Shane Wilkin (R) raised $146,504, Thomas Hwang (R) raised $0, and Tim Inwood (R) raised $0.

#3 District 13 – $123,793

Incumbent Nathan Manning (R) raised $123,793 and Kirsten Hill (R) raised $0.

#4 District 31 – $55,704

Al Landis (R) raised $54,904, Kevin Black (R) raised $800, and Gregory Brewer II (R) raised $0.

#5 District 21 – $24,537

Kent Smith (D) raised $24,437, John E. Barnes Jr. (D) raised $100, Vincent Rosemond (D) raised $0, and Willie Britt (D) raised $0.

Five primary elections with the least fundraising

#1 District 27 – $0

Cliff Pinkney (D) raised $0 and Patricia Goetz (D) raised $0.

#2 District 19 – $0

Chrissie Hinshaw (D) raised $0 and Heather Swiger (D) raised $0.

#3 District 13 – $0

Anthony Eliopoulos (D) raised $0 and Joshua Garcia (D) raised $0.

#4 District 17 – $0

Alex Trevino (D) raised $0 and Garry Boone (D) raised $0.

#5 District 21 – $24,537

Kent Smith (D) raised $24,437, John E. Barnes Jr. (D) raised $100, Vincent Rosemond (D) raised $0, and Willie Britt (D) raised $0.

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Ohio PACs submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State. Federal PACs are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report NameReport Due Date
2021 Annual1/31/2022
2022 Pre-Primary4/21/2022
2022 Post-Primary6/10/2022
2022 Semiannual7/29/2022
2022 Pre-General10/27/2022
2022 Post-General12/16/2022

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.