Supporters of Ohio Issue 1 far outnumber opponents

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The campaign to end gerrymandering in Ohio has raised six times as much as their opponents, with an award-winning film director and the owners of the Cleveland Browns donating for and against the November ballot change.

“We have a real opportunity to change the way our Ohio Legislature is elected this year through Issue 1,” said Cuyahoga County voter Wendy Leatherberry.

For Leatherberry, a yes vote on No. 1 is a no-brainer.

“It’s an opportunity to end gerrymandering — and therefore have a legislature that better reflects our people,” she said.

Gerrymandering is the purposeful manipulation of boundary lines to favor one political party.

Currently, Ohio lawmakers are drawing the maps – maps that directly affect them and their colleagues.

We have outlined what number 1 will do.

What does a yes vote on Ohio Issue 1 mean? What does a no vote mean?

The Ohio Redistricting Commission (ORC) consists of seven places. Two will always go to the Republicans and two to the Democrats in the Statehouse. The three remaining seats include the governor, the secretary of state and the auditor.

This led to the 2022 Ohio Redistricting Mess, where a bipartisan Ohio Supreme Court struck down seven different approved maps, citing that the committee’s GOP members drew lines to unfairly advantage their party.

Vote yes on number 1 would establish a fifteen-member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (OCRC) composed of Republican, Democratic, and independent citizens broadly representing the state’s diverse geographic areas and demographics.

It bans current or former politicians, political party officials, lobbyists and major political donors from serving on the commission.

It requires fair and impartial districting because it makes it unconstitutional to designate constituencies that discriminate against or favor any political party or individual politician. It also gives the committee the mandate to operate according to an open and independent process.

The commissioners would draw the maps based on federal law, which would also take into account past election data on party political preferences. The commission would ensure that each district has a reasonably equal population and that communities of interest are kept together.

Vote no on number 1 would reject the independent commission’s proposal and maintain the current format. Voting no could also mean you’re hopeful that Republicans will keep their word by proposing a “solution” to improve the system in the coming months.

Breakdown

A recently released campaign finance filing shows that Citizens Not Politicians, the “yes” side, has raised nearly $40 million since the start of 2024.

Of the total, 83% come from outside the state.

The biggest donors are progressive or nonpartisan groups in the Washington DC area, which have funded about 65% of the campaign so far. The donations from Virginia came from Arlington, also known as the DC area.

Article IV spent the most ($10.5 million) in Ohio. It’s a nonpartisan group of Democrats, Republicans and independents who “defend American democracy,” their website says.

The Sixteen Thirty Funda progressive PAC, has donated $6.7 million.

The Ohio Education Association, with help from its state and local chapters, has donated more than $4 million.

When it comes to individual donors, film director Steven Spielberg has even done his part. He and his wife and actress Kate Capshaw donated $100,000. The award winner was born in Cincinnati. I reached out for comment but haven’t heard back.

Opponents of Issue 1 have said they are not surprised the money is coming from liberal donors.

“They’re trying to change it and they’re doing gerrymandering so they can get back into power,” said Republican Bruce Christopher of Medina County.

He supports Ohio Works, the ‘vote no’ campaign.

Through their financial filings, they have raised a total of about $6 million.

Of that amount, 52% comes from out of state.

The biggest contributors are conservative groups from DC and Ohio.

American Jobs and Growth donated the largest amount: $1.75 million. It’s a conservative super PAC with ties to utilities and gas policy Institute for Energy and Policy.

Ohioans for a Healthy Economy, a conservative group, gave $1 million.

American Action Network, another GOP-related PAC, donated $400,000.

One of the largest individual donations came from Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam with $100,000. I have contacted the Haslam family for a statement but have not heard back yet.

Issue 1’s opponents argue that the difference in funding proves Democrats are trying to gain control.

“Their policies over the years have not gone well and in some cases they have lost 60-40,” Christopher said.

Leatherberry disagreed.

“We are a purple state, we are not the flaming red Ohio that some people think we are,” she said. “A red state does not accept last year’s First Edition and does not enshrine reproductive rights in the constitution.”

Amendment campaign organizers say No. 1 isn’t Democratic versus Republican, it’s citizens versus politicians — that’s why so much money is being raised.

With the 2024 General Election approaching, we’ve created a guide to everything you need to know about voting on or before November 5.

2024 OHIO VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know

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