Ohio Supreme Court Campaign Fundraising
Leads the Nation

Hannah News Service 10/19/2004

Together all the candidates for Ohio Supreme Court have raised over $5.1 million, according to a study released Tuesday by Ohio Citizen Action. Candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court are leading the nation in fundraising. So far this year, candidates for seats on the Ohio Supreme Court have collectively outraised candidates for high courts in 19 other states.

Supreme Court elections vary widely from state to state and so does the filing process. However, based on available information, three of the five state Supreme Court candidates who have raised more than $1 million are from Ohio. Alabama, second in fundraising and with the same number of candidates, has raised just over $3 million.

"This election secures Ohio's reputation as the poster child for big money and special interests in Supreme Court elections," said Catherine Turcer of Ohio Citizen Action. "However, there is a significant discrepancy among candidates. Each of the three contested Republicans has raised over $1.2 million and none of the Democratic candidates has hit the million-dollar mark."

Democratic challenger and fierce critic of the current campaign finance system William O'Neill has raised only $44,035, only three percent of the amount raised by his opponent, Terrence O'Donnell. There is also disparity in contributions to the candidates for the only open seat. Republican Judith Lanzinger has raised $1.27 million and Democrat Nancy Fuerst only $765,811.

Ohio Republican Party committees contributed 29 times more than the Democratic committees. Ohio Republican Party committees contributed $233,512 to candidates running for the Ohio Supreme Court from November 2, 2003 to September 30, 2004. Ohio Democratic Party committees contributed $7,996.

Top Five Organizational Contributors:

1. Cincinnati Insurance Companies -- $82,433

2. Nurenberg, Plevin, Heller & McCarthy -- $68,120

3. Nationwide Insurance -- $61,650

4. FirstEnergy -- $61,100

5. Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease -- $59,020

Organizational contributors include PAC, organization and employee contributions.

One hundred seventy-one (171) employees of the top organizational contributor, Cincinnati Insurance Companies, gave 467 contributions to the three contested Republican candidates, totaling $82,433. Ninety-two percent gave to each of these three candidates. None of the employees of Cincinnati Insurance Companies contributed to Democratic candidates.

This study examines campaign contributions to candidates for Chief Justice and Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from November 2, 2003 to September 30, 2004. The Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund based this study on filings with the Ohio Secretary of State. The Ohio Citizen Action Education Fund was able to identify 85 percent of the employers of all individual contributors. The Education Fund identified the economic sector of ninety-seven percent (97 percent) of the total contributions from both individuals and organizations.

For the full study, visit www.ohiocitizen.org