Democrats and left interest groups outspent opponents by a wide margin in a flailing attempt to wrangle control of Congressional representation from citizens’ hands, but Ohio rejected Issue 1 by eight points.
The issue, which Michigan officials warned Ohioans over, would have established an independent commission responsible for drawing up Congressional district maps — but ended citizens’ ability to hold them to account.
The initiative would have ensconced the redistricting process in the hands of unelected bureaucrats, free from the reproach of citizens who can hold elected officials to account at the ballot box.
Tuesday’s defeat for Issue 1 may indicate Ohioans have wised up on the Democrat and leftist interest group money machine. Issue 1’s top proponent, “Citizens Not Politicians,” had spent more than $37 million on behalf of Issue 1 as of mid October.
The group’s funding came from a rogue’s gallery of leftist money machine groups: the ACLU, the foreign billionaire-controlled 1630 Fund, the Tides Foundation, and George Soros’ Open Society Policy Center.
Those groups, among others, spent big on Ohio’s 2022 Issue 1 initiative, too, transforming the state’s constitution and enshrining abortion into Ohio law.
Their support hasn’t been limited to ballot initiatives and trying to stifle Ohioans ability to hold leaders to account. The big Democrat money behind Citizens Not Politicians also has its fingers in Ohio’s media and cultural pie.
The Ohio Capital Journal is downstream of the same money machine behind Issue 1.
Arabella Advisors, which directs liberal dark money groups, and garners massive funds from foreign billionaires like Hansjorg Wyss and George Soros administers the 1630 Fund. The 1630 Fund has been a player in leftwing causes across the country and in Ohio, and it backs the Capital Journal’s parent, States Newsroom.
Groups like the Tides Foundation even bankrolled a Bible study curriculum to try to neutralize Christians at the ballot box. The group specifically targeted Christians and pastors in Ohio.
Support for Issue 1 was strongest in Ohio’s most liberal cities, Cleveland and Columbus, and those results tracked. The vote largely tracked with turnout for the top of the ticket. Trump, who took Ohio by 11 points, opposed the measure. Opposition in surrounding counties of major cities like Cincinnati and Columbus flagged Trump’s results, but only slightly, accounting for the gap.
Lucas County and Toledo stood out for going the other direction. Kamala Harris’ 55% result there outperformed support for Issue 1 by four points.
In any case, Trump’s resounding victory came as VP Kamala Harris flushed $1.4 billion on her campaign, outspending Trump by half a billion dollars. The campaign was reported to have ended $20 million in debt.
As with Issue 1’s sound defeat, the gap in spending in the face of the remade GOP’s incredible mandate shows Ohioans are getting wise to the liberal foreign money game.
Ohio legislators passed a law banning foreign cash in Ohio’s elections before a judge issued a stay. It awaits its fate as Gov. Mike DeWine is negotiating the bill’s provisions with legislators.
