Who's funding the Ohio Issue 1 campaigns? Donors from Illinois, D.C. and California

Haley BeMiller, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·4 min read
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Opponents of Issue 1 gather at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 683 union hall to write postcards and pick up shirts and yard signs before knocking doors on July 8.
Opponents of Issue 1 gather at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 683 union hall to write postcards and pick up shirts and yard signs before knocking doors on July 8.

An Illinois billionaire dropped another $4 million into the fight over whether it should be harder to amend Ohio's Constitution, new campaign filings show.

But the donations from shipping supply magnate Richard Uihlein aren't the only out-of-state money flowing ahead of the Aug. 8 special election. The campaigns for and against Issue 1 are relying heavily on donors from California to Washington, D.C. as they blast the influence of special interests on Ohio politics.

The issue, if passed, would require 60% of the vote to enact new constitutional amendments and change the signature-gathering process for citizen amendments. Ohio Republicans pushed for the August election to preempt a November ballot question that would enshrine abortion rights in the constitution.

Ohio Issue 1: Everything you need to know about the August special election

The special election − and its potential ramifications for reproductive health − have attracted national attention and uprooted what would have been a sleepy summer for Ohio politics. The campaign money on both sides underscores the high stakes.

Altogether, the primary group advocating for Issue 1 − Protect Our Constitution − raised $4.85 million and spent nearly $1.6 million through July 19. One Person One Vote, the opposition, brought in about $14.8 million and spent $10.4 million. Those numbers don't include money from other groups on the periphery of the fight.

The reports submitted Thursday also won't encompass the final weeks before the election, meaning a full picture won't emerge until the next reporting deadline in September.

Workers assemble signs supporting Issue 1 before a Geauga County GOP Central Committee meeting in Chesterland on July 19.
Workers assemble signs supporting Issue 1 before a Geauga County GOP Central Committee meeting in Chesterland on July 19.

The 'yes' side

Uihlein first came into the picture in April, when he gave $1.1 million to a group urging Ohio House lawmakers to set the August election. The Uline CEO is a prominent Republican donor and has ties to an organization promoting the 60% threshold nationally, according to CBS News.

His $4 million contribution accounted for most of Protect Our Constitution's fundraising, which helped pay for advertising, consulting and other costs. The group also received:

  • $150,000 from Save Jobs Ohio, which is funded by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce

  • $50,000 from Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who own the Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew

  • $40,000 from Cleveland Right to Life

  • $25,000 from U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan's campaign

  • $25,000 from Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman's campaign

Protect Our Constitution received about $74,000 from individual Ohioans and $623,000 from Ohio-based groups.

"Our opponents have already spent over $10 million on their campaign to keep Ohio’s constitution vulnerable to their liberal agenda," coalition spokesman Spencer Gross said. "This confirms what we have said from day one − right now, our constitution is for sale and big money out-of-state special interest groups are spending millions to keep it that way."

Separately, a group dubbed Protect Our Kids Ohio spent roughly $530,000 to campaign for Issue 1. One of its ads highlights claims about parental rights and children's access to transgender medical care, a common talking point among Issue 1 proponents. The organization is funded by Protect Our Constitution and the American Principles Project, which has ties to Uihlein.

The anti-abortion group Protect Women Ohio and a related organization, Protect Women Ohio Action Fund, are also advocating for Issue 1. Both reported millions in fundraising and spending on Thursday, but it's unclear how much went toward the August election versus November.

The 'no' side

One Person One Vote has vastly outraised and outspent its opponents, allowing the group to dominate the airwaves with advertising. On top of the $14.8 million in contributions, opponents received $1.8 million in services provided by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

Top donations include:

  • $2.6 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a progressive dark money group

  • $1.875 million from the Tides Foundation, a liberal social justice organization based in San Francisco

  • $1 million from the National Education Association

  • $1 million from the Ohio Education Association

  • Over $531,000 from the Fairness Project, which focuses on ballot measure campaigns

One Person One Vote received $3.2 million from in-state donations, including $106,000 from individual Ohioans. Nearly two-thirds of the contributions came from groups and people in Washington, D.C. and California, with other donors hailing from New York, Colorado and Canada.

"We are proud of the enormous bipartisan coalition that has come together to defeat Issue 1," said Dennis Willard, spokesman for One Person One Vote. "The stakes couldn't be higher, and we're working every day to communicate with every voter about how Issue 1 would end majority rule in Ohio."

Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Issue 1: Supporters, critics funded by out-of-state donors