Ohio Senate race: Mike Gibbons commits to $10 million ad strategy
Jul. 29—Cleveland investment banker Mike Gibbons has committed to tapping his personal wealth to self‑fund his U.S. Senate bid, reserving nearly $10 million in TV and radio advertising slated to run through the 2022 GOP primary, the campaign announced Thursday morning.
The campaign's ads will begin to air on radio, cable, and network TV across Ohio on Friday, according to the news release. The $9.9 million commitment, subject to change as the race evolves, represents a huge cash infusion in a crowded and expensive primary that's still nine months away — and underscores the degree to which personal fortunes might determine who lasts in the race.
Among the major Senate candidates, Mr. Gibbons raised the least in the last three‑month fund-raising quarter, bringing in $500,000 in individual contributions. But his total was augmented by a $5.6 million personal loan. Mr. Gibbons committed to spending $5 million of his own money when he entered the race.
Mr. Gibbons, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken, and luxury car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno all have the resources to float their campaigns money. The same is true for Matt Dolan, a state senator who formed a Senate exploratory committee and is currently touring the state. Mr. Dolan's family owns the Cleveland Indians.
Former state treasurer Josh Mandel was also sitting on $5.7 million at the end of last quarter, and author J.D. Vance has the backing of billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel.
Mr. Gibbons' first TV ad leans on a sports metaphor to introduce him to voters. He played football at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland and Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.
"America has been knocked down by the left, but football has taught me to get back up," he says in the 30‑second TV spot, which features snippets of Americana: players on a football field, a worker tossing a melon into a flatbed truck, a family praying at a dinner table.
"We have something to stand for. We believe in the greatness of America. Secure borders. The right to bear arms. Fair elections. The sanctity of life and the power of faith," he says.
The ad strategy coincides with an 88‑county tour, which he's using to pitch voters on his journey from a blue‑collar upbringing to successful investor who founded a super PAC that backed former President Donald Trump and other Republicans.
Mr. Gibbons isn't a complete unknown, but voters may need a refresher.
He first ran for statewide office in 2018, when he went up against former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci in the Senate primary, earning 32 percent of the vote.
First Published July 29, 2021, 9:56am
