Rotunda Rumblings
Cost of change: An analysis of state Issue 1 and the costs of overhauling Ohio’s redistricting process estimates the new map-drawing commission would need $5.7 million to operate in its first year. Robert Higgs reports that the analysis from the state’s Office of Management and Budget predicts the single largest expense in 2025, its first year of operation, will be for litigation. That is estimated at more than $2.6 million.
Bank shot: Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown raised an eye-popping $31 million between July 1 and Sept. 30 – easily a new fundraising record for a U.S. Senate candidate in Ohio, and more than Brown raised during his entire 2018 campaign. But as Jeremy Pelzer reports, political ad spending in the race still favors Republican Bernie Moreno, thanks to major ad buys by outside groups.
Incumbent edge: In the Northeast Ohio congressional race that political pundits deem the state’s most competitive, incumbent Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes of Akron took a big fundraising lead over GOP challenger Kevin Coughlin, according to fundraising reports filed Tuesday, Sabrina Eaton writes. Incumbents also had a big fundraising lead in other area contests for U.S. House of Representatives seats.
Loophole: An Ohio Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday affirmed that ballot drop boxes at Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections can only be used this year by people submitting their own absentee ballots. Anyone dropping off a ballot for someone else has tosign a form, generally inside the board of elections. But Molly Walsh writes that there is a workaround to the rule — if a county board can accommodate it. Some are stationing employees outside to accept ballots and attestation forms.
Phoning it in: All car crashes, including those specifically attributed to distracted driving, decreased over the past year in Ohio. Jake Zuckerman reports that state officials are attributing the trend to enforcement of Ohio’s new prohibitions against using your phone while driving.
Tales from the crypto: One of the main reasons there’s been more spent on political ads to help Bernie Moreno than Sherrod Brown is because the cryptocurrency industry is mounting a massive effort to elect its preferred House and Senate candidates across a dozen states this fall, quietly becoming the single biggest outside spender in congressional elections this cycle other than traditional party groups, Politico reports. But ads from its industry super PACs typically don’t mention crypto, as it isn’t a priority for most voters,instead running positive spots about preferred candidates, often biographical or hitting on hot-button issues such as the border, the economy and access to IVF. “They’re going to be decisive in helping Republicans win the United States Senate,” said Moreno, who has attracted the most cryptocurrency backing of any candidate because Brown, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, has been a cryptocurrency skeptic.
Getting nasty: A Semafor piece on Ohio’s U.S. Senate contest quotes Moreno describing Brown as a “faux populist,” who dons a wrinkled suit when he flies to Ohio and“uses his wife’s blow dryer to mess up his hair and pretends he’s a regular American.” Moreno also claimed blue-collar workers “probably beat up” Brown in high school. Brown campaign spokesperson Reeves Oyster responded that “Bernie Moreno will say anything to distract from his record” on the campaign trail and in business.
Full Disclosure
Here are five things we learned fromthe Feb. 16, 2024, ethics disclosure form filed by state Rep. Rachel Baker, a Cincinnati Democrat, about her 2023 finances:
1. In addition to her $76,208.66 legislative salary last year, she earned more than $100,000 working as a nurse researcher for TriHealth, between $50,000 and $99,999 as an adjunct instructor for the University of Cincinnati, and between $1,000 and $9,999 as an adjunct instructor for Mount St. Joseph University.
2. At some point in 2023, Baker owed at least $1,000 to Fifth Third Bank and Discover.
3. Her investments worth at least $1,000 included stakes in 13 exchange-traded funds and seven mutual funds with Charles Schwab, as well as a Vanguard money-market account, a College Advantage 529 account, a TriHealth 401(k) with T. Rowe Price, and retirement accounts with the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.
4. She holds an active registered nurse license.
5. Her travel reimbursements last year included $2,934.80 in mileage and $2,769.66 in lodging from the Ohio House, $432.30 in mileage from serving on the OneOhio Recovery Foundation Board, $605.26 for lodging and $166.96 for airfare from the National Foundation of Women Legislators to attend a conference, and $135.78 for lodging from the Cleveland Clinic (also for a conference).
Tick Tock
The 2024 election is approaching, where Ohioans will help decide the presidential race, control of the U.S. Senate, how the state draws state legislative and congressional lines and many other down-ballot races. Here are some key dates in the election countdown:
Deadline to request an absentee ballot… 12 days (Oct. 29)
Final day of early voting… 17 days (Nov. 3)
Last day to postmark an absentee ballot… 18 days (Nov. 4)
Election Day… 19 days (Nov. 5)
Also, make sure to check out our Ohio guide to the 2024 November election.
Birthdays
Ray DiRossi, Ohio Senate Republicans’ budget and finance director
Kathryn Steveline, administrative assistant, Ohio Supreme Court
State Rep. Terrence Upchurch
Straight From The Source
“President Trump and I will stop this.”
– Republican vice-presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. JD Vance, responding on X to a Cincinnati Enquirer report thata Skyline Chili-flavored Graeter’s ice cream is listed on Kroger’s website. Vance, like all three of those companies, is from Cincinnati.
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