Outside groups are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Ohio's races for governor and U.S. Senate, leading to an onslaught of campaign advertisements in the waning weeks of the midterm election. This financial surge occurs as Ohioans express concerns over the cost of living and are barraged by campaign messages. Despite substantial financial advantages for Republican candidates, particularly from these outside organizations, polling continues to suggest relatively close contests, with Democrats holding a roughly 4-point advantage in polling averages.
Ohio's U.S. Senate race has garnered immense external attention, making it the most expensive Senate race in the country. Advertising tracking firm AdImpact reported that outside groups alone have spent more than $325 million on this race. When factoring in direct spending by the candidates, AdImpact places the total cost of Ohio's Senate race at $422.6 million. Through the end of June, Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted had collected $19 million, while Democrat Sherrod Brown had raised $52 million. However, a pattern from previous cycles shows that outside spending has often diminished Democratic candidates' fundraising leads.
In the U.S. Senate contest, Republican-aligned groups have aggressively targeted Brown. The Senate Leadership Fund has spent $54.5 million attacking Brown so far this cycle. Additional significant contributions include more than $20 million from Trump-backed MAGA Inc. and the No Going Back PAC, $5.7 million from Elon Musk's America PAC, and $10.6 million from Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity. Cryptocurrency groups Defend American Jobs and Digital Freedom Fund have also spent $5.7 million and $3.5 million, respectively. Cumulatively, outside groups have reported spending $113.5 million on ads attacking Brown.
These external groups have also provided substantial support for Husted, spending $58.4 million on messaging praising the Republican’s record. Nearly $30 million of this support originated from the crypto group Defend American Jobs. Brown's campaign has also benefited from outside spending, albeit to a lesser degree. Outside groups have spent $69.5 million attacking Husted, with Democrats’ primary Senate Super PAC WinSenate and its associated group, Duty and Country PAC, accounting for $44.2 million of that total. Furthermore, outside groups spent a little more than $7 million supporting Brown, led by $2.2 million from the group American Bridge 21st Century. Most of the nearly half a billion dollars in advertising for the Senate race has already aired. However, AdImpact reported on October 12 that over $80 million in ad reservations remain for Ohio’s U.S. Senate race alone. At its highest point, GOP-aligned spending surpassed $30 million in a single week.
The Ohio governor’s race also reflects the significant influence of outside spending. Democrat Dr. Amy Acton has repeatedly out-raised her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy. This fundraising advantage, however, vanishes when the support from Super PACs backing Ramaswamy’s bid is factored in. V-PAC, a Super PAC aligned with Ramaswamy, reported raising more than $18 million in its most recent quarterly report. A single donor, Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass, contributed $10 million to V-PAC. In her most recent filing, Acton reported raising $6 million in a single month.
Key outside players buying ads in the Ohio governor’s race include committees linked to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), in addition to Ramaswamy’s Super PAC. While Ohio campaign finance reports through June show Ramaswamy’s campaign spending a little more than $12 million directly on advertising, V-PAC spent $14.2 million on advertising during the same timeframe. Following the latest report, V-PAC’s total ad spending increased substantially to $44.6 million. A spokesman for the RGA confirmed in an email that "roughly $20 million has been spent on advertising to-date," though the specific portion related to Ohio’s race was not clarified. The RGA also aired an ad criticizing Acton for refusing to debate.
Acton’s campaign spent $3.3 million on ads through the end of June, approximately a quarter of Ramaswamy’s direct spending over that period. The DGA supports Acton through Ohioans For Lower Costs, a new state committee. This group’s filings, covering transactions through the end of June, list a $1 million contribution from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers as its only reported transaction. The DGA did not respond to requests for information regarding its spending. Despite the DGA's assistance, AdImpact reported earlier this month that Republican-aligned groups have spent or reserved more than $100 million in ads in the governor’s race, compared with approximately $40 million from Democratic groups.
