Redistricting campaign brings in millions, most from out of state

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Each election cycle, millions of dollars are spent on campaigns for candidates and issues alike. This year, there is one issue on the packed 2024 ballot led by a group called Citizens not Politicians that has brought in millions of dollars in support.

Citizens not Politicians is a coalition that wants to reform the way district maps are drawn in Ohio, by taking that authority away from politicians, who, in many cases rely on those district lines for re-election. Voters will decide whether they want to do that come November, but in the meantime the group is busy raking in money to get their message out.

More than $23 million has been raised by the collation from Jan. 1 to July 25, according to the July campaign finance report filed on the Secretary of State’s website.

“That is a very impressive demonstration of the support that there is for this amendment,” Spokesperson for Citizens not Politicians Chris Davey said.

“It's legal. I'm not complaining about it,” Governor Mike DeWine said. “I'm just saying you're going to see how much money it took.”

Where is the money coming from?

Much of the money -- 794 contributions totaling $19.4 million -- came from out of state to support the campaign. That is 84% of the money the coalition raised these past seven months.

“We welcome the support of those individuals and organizations who share our vision that Ohio will be a better place,” Davey said. “We will see on the other side, I'm sure, when they get organized to try and defeat this, the politicians will raise money from wherever they can get it.”

“I would just ask voters to question why all this money is coming into the state of Ohio,” DeWine said. “It's just massive amounts of money.”

Not including Ohio, there are 43 other states plus Washington D.C. on the list of donors. The largest single contribution comes from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a dark money group in D.C. That fund put in $6 million. The Sixteen Thirty Fund has been under scrutiny for its involvement in funding Ohio movements, and was a target of a recently passed state law limiting foreign donations toward Ohio issues. The new law will become effective Sept. 1 and was pushed by DeWine and Republican lawmakers.

Overall, top contributions come from Washington D.C. with $11.1 million, Ohio with $3.6 million, Virginia with $3.4 million, California with $2.1 million and New York with $1.6 million.

“They got money that's coming in from outside Ohio and they have a right to do that. It's legal,” DeWine said. “But voters ought to know that this is being funded by people outside Ohio primarily. That's just a fact. And they need they need to know it.”

“Anyone who says this is not that this is an out of state effort needs to talk to the more than half million Ohioans in all 18 counties who signed the petitions to put this on the ballot. They need to talk to the hundreds of people that packed the statehouse on July 1st to rally in favor of this amendment,” Davey said. “This is a homegrown amendment. It's led by Ohioans. It's for Ohioans.”

In Ohio, the top single donation comes from the Ohio Progressive Collaborative with $1 million. In total 327 donations came from within the state, and not all of them with a large price tag.

“A dollar, $2, $5. I just thought that was fantastic,” Davey said. “It all adds up to the support that we need to win in November.”

What is the money being spent on?

So far money is largely promotional, with $16.8 million has been spent on “general election media” to reserve advertisement space.

“We're going to keep raising money. We're going to keep reserving time,” Davey said. “It costs a lot of money to run a statewide campaign in a state like Ohio that has so many major media markets and such a large, diverse population.”

Aside from the massive advertising buy, the coalition has spent large sums in a few other areas:   $6.1 million on "voter contact," $743,162.82 on "signature verification," $327,460.46 on "printing" and "general election printing, and $287,535.90 on "consulting." Other expenditures include taxes, legal services and web hosting/site development.

“We're also spending it in a variety of ways that are going to help support the cause of helping people understand the amendment, understand how it's going to make Ohio a better place,” Davey said.

Is there an opposition campaign?

There is no official opposition-campaign yet, although DeWine, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) and several other top Republicans in Ohio oppose the measure. An opposition-campaign will likely form within the coming days or weeks.