Ohio redistricting initiative campaign, with $26.9 million, surpasses previous redistricting measure campaigns in contributions

Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans. On July 23, the initiative was certified for the general election on Nov. 5.

The campaign supporting the initiative, Citizens Not Politicians, raised $26.95 million, as of the campaign finance reports released on July 31. That’s a record for a ballot measure to create a non-politician redistricting commission, also known as an independent redistricting commission. In 2018, for example, Michigan Proposal 2 saw $17.00 million in contributions, $16.60 million of which was for the support campaign. Colorado Amendment Y and Amendment Z, a pair of ballot measures to create a redistricting commission, saw $5.81 million. In Utah, where voters decided on Proposition 4, $2.80 million was raised.

Since 2000, there have been two other citizen-initiated ballot measures to create non-politician redistricting commissions in Ohio. In 2012, voters rejected Issue 2, which saw $16.41 million. Supporters raised $8.20 million, and opponents raised $8.21 million. In 2005, voters rejected Issue 4, which saw $10.75 million. Supporters received $5.04 million, and opponents received $5.71 million.

Before this year’s Ohio ballot initiative, the most expensive redistricting commission initiative was California Proposition 20, which transferred congressional redistricting from the legislature to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Proposition 20 saw $20.84 million, with supporters raising $15.29 million, and opponents raising $5.55 million.

As of July 31, there was no organized opposition PAC against the ballot initiative in Ohio. This is not uncommon at this stage of the election cycle, since the initiative was certified on July 23. Historically, the campaigns supporting these types of ballot initiatives received significantly more contributions than opponents, except in Ohio. In 2012, opponents received $11,997 more than supporters. In 2005, opponents received $673,456 more.

Through July 31, the largest donors to Citizens Not Politicians were the Sixteen Thirty Fund ($6.67 million), the American Civil Liberties Union ($3.58 million), Article IV ($3.5 million), Our American Future Foundation ($2.45 million), and the Ohio Progressive Collaborative and TIDES Foundation, both contributing $2.00 million.

Outside of California and Florida, the ballot initiative is the most expensive of 2024 thus far. It is the only statewide measure on the ballot for Ohio’s 2024 general election. The next campaign finance deadline in Ohio is Oct. 24, 2024.