COLUMBUS — Amid allegations of outside interests meddling in Ohio's political affairs, the committee behind major redistricting reform on the Nov. 5 ballot reported on Thursday that it raised nearly $11 million in campaign cash since July.

That brings its total to date to a whopping $37 million.

Ohio Works, Inc., the opposition committee, reported late Thursday raising $5.6 million in its first accounting of this election. Its report showed its biggest check came from a Washington-based nonprofit corporation, even as it criticizes proponents for being funded by non-Ohio sources.

The reports, filed with the Ohio Secretary of State's Office, cover spending through Oct. 16 and provide one last look prior to the election as to who is fueling both sides of the high-stakes battle. Early voting is well underway.

Issue 1 asks voters to amend the Ohio Constitution to take the power to redraw congressional and state legislative districts out of the hands of "politicians" and give it to a new 15-member "citizens" commission.

Membership would be evenly divided between Republicans, Democrats, and independents.

Final maps approved by the new commission must comply with federal rules and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and consist of districts that are made up of geographically contiguous territory, have equalized populations, and preserve communities of interest “to the extent practicable.”

Final overall maps — not individual districts — must then “correspond closely” with how Ohioans have voted statewide in recent elections.

"Yes on 1 has the momentum headed into the final stretch of the campaign,” Republican former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said.

She was part of the bipartisan 4-3 majority that voted seven times in the last redistricting cycle to strike down Republican-drawn maps as unconstitutionally partisan.

“This report shows that Ohioans are ready to place an explicit ban on gerrymandering in the Ohio Constitution and put citizens not politicians in charge of drawing legislative maps, which we will accomplish by voting Yes on Issue 1," she said.

In addition to cash contributions, the pro-Issue 1 side reported $1.5 million in new staffing and other in-kind, non-cash support in this filing.

While the pro-Issue 1 campaign is drawing numerous smaller contributions from within Ohio, the biggest checks continue to be written from outside the state.

Article IV, a Virginia-based nonprofit corporation, gave $7 million in this reporting period, bringing its support to date to $10 million. That's about 27 percent of the effort's entire take so far.

The Washington-based Our American Future Foundation gave $1 million this reporting period, bringing its total to $3.4 million. Giving $1 million each this period were the liberal, New York-based Open Society Policy Center, for a total to date of $1.5 million, and the Washington-based Voters for the American Center.

The amount raised by opponent committee Ohio Works pales in comparison. Its single biggest check, $1.75 million, came from American Jobs and Growth, a conservative Washington-based nonprofit. That check represents about 31 percent of the total raised by the anti-Issue 1 campaign.

The next biggest check, at $1 million, came from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's Ohioans for a Healthy Economy.

Ohio Works reported spending more than $4.5 million to date, leaving it with nearly $1.1 million in the bank for the final weeks of the campaign. The bulk of that money was spent on advertising and direct mailing.

“Looking at the latest report, of all the money Ohioans donated to Issue 1, 91 percent of the Ohioan donations went to the ‘no’ side and only 9 percent went to the ‘yes’ side,” Ohio Works spokesman Mark Weaver said. “This is more proof that the ‘yes’ side is overwhelmingly funded by out-of-state and foreign political operatives.”

Opponents of Issue 1 have made much of Citizens Not Politicians receiving $6.1 million early on from Washington-based Sixteen Thirty Fund. The fund made no contribution this reporting cycle.

The Sixteen Thirty Fund was held up as Exhibit A earlier this year when lawmakers banned money from foreign nationals in Ohio ballot issue campaigns. That ban was inspired by contributions into the Sixteen Thirty Fund's national pot from a Swiss billionaire.

Americans for Public Trust, a right-leaning nonprofit corporation, this week updated its prior report in which it said the fund has contributed $115 million over the last decade to ballot issue campaigns in 25 states, including Ohio.

The Sixteen Thirty Fund has insisted it has fully complied with Ohio laws and regulations.

First Published October 25, 2024, 2:28 p.m.