Campaign Finance Overview


There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can't remember what the second one is. -- U.S. Senator from Ohio Mark Hanna, 1895



Campaign cash plays a significant role in Ohio elections. In 2006 winning Ohio House and Senate candidates raised 4.2 times more than their opponents. All of the winning candidates for Ohio Senate raised more money than their opponents.


2005-2006 Contributions
Winning vs. losing Ohio legislative candidates
 
total
average raised
Ohio House winning candidates
$18,171,372
$183,549.21
Ohio House losing candidates
$5,645,230
$62,035.49
Ohio Senate winning candidates
$9,350,953
$550,056.04
Ohio Senate losing candidates
$1,267,678
$79,229.88
Totals include both monetary and in-kind contributions. Campaign
contribution information is available on the Secretary of State's website.


From 2005-2006, candidates for statewide office raised $44,816,566.

Large campaign coffers do not necessarily reflect a close race or the need for campaign dollars. In 2006, Speaker of the Ohio House Jon Husted (R-Kettering) raised $1,964,642. He was unopposed in both the primary and general elections.

During the 2006 election cycle, Ohio statewide and legislative candidates spent $82,252,377. (What did they spend it on?)

Incumbency plays an important role in fundraising in Ohio elections. Ohio House incumbents raised 5.5 times more than their challengers during the 2005-2006 election cycle. The comparison below demonstrates the power of incumbency and campaign cash.


2006 Candidates for the Ohio General Assembly
 
total
average raised
Incumbents
$22,792,602
$268,148.26
Challengers
$4,143,656
$53,123.80
Open Seats
$7,498,975
$124,982.91
Totals include both monetary and in-kind contributions.


Ohio has experienced several high profile political scandals in recent years, most of which can be traced to the state’s casual regulation of campaign finance practices and the failure to ensure a high level of government transparency.

Campaign contribution limits in Ohio are comparatively high. Individuals are now permitted to give $10,670 per election cycle to candidates for statewide office and Ohio General Assembly (five times more than the federal limit). The primary is considered an election cycle if the candidate faces an opponent. This means that during a two-year cycle a candidate may receive as much as $21,340 from one wealthy contributor. Ohio does not place aggregate limits on individual donors to candidates. In 2006, 353 individuals contributed $10,000 or more to the five winners of Ohio’s statewide offices.

Even though Ohio passed a “pay-to-play” statute in late 2006, the legislation is missing an enforcement mechanism to make it work and is facing arbitration because of restrictions on unions. The Ohio Elections Commission lacks the resources, structure, and authority needed to effectively investigate allegations of campaign finance improprieties.

Here are some policy proposals that may make a difference.