{"id":9194,"date":"2024-11-20T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T11:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/?post_type=project&p=9194"},"modified":"2024-11-20T09:11:13","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T13:11:13","slug":"dividing-up-donations-how-the-ohio-state-community-contributes-to-political-candidates","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/project\/dividing-up-donations-how-the-ohio-state-community-contributes-to-political-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"Dividing up donations: How the Ohio State community contributes to political candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-82px|auto||auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/11\/Josie-header.jpeg” title_text=”Josie header” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”2px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Dividing up donations: How the Ohio State community contributes to political candidates” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Lora||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”52px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”6px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”By Josie Stewart | John R. Oller Special Reporter” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Lora||||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#000000″ text_shadow_style=”preset1″ text_shadow_vertical_length=”0.04em” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||123px|||” custom_padding=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-72px|auto||auto||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}”]Ohio State faculty, staff and students donated to various seats ahead of this year\u2019s election, but one element remained overwhelmingly the same: about 96% went to candidates within the Democratic Party or political action groups that support it.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Lantern analysis of over 180,000 publicly available Federal Election Commission filings shows that this year alone, Ohio State faculty, students and staff donated nearly $1 million to candidates and political action committees nationwide.<\/span><\/p>\n

This trend remains consistent \u2014 even when adjusted for contributions designated for primary and general elections \u2014 when expanded to the last five years, during which total contributions jumped to over $4.5 million given almost wholly,\u00a0 about 93%, to Democratic candidates and groups.<\/span><\/p>\n

These results persist when aggregated by sects of the Ohio State community, with a different trend emerging for just one group \u2014 the board that oversees the university.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contributions among 15 voting members of Ohio State\u2019s Board of Trustees lean more heavily toward bipartisan groups. However, when accounting only for partisan candidates and committees, about 88% of contributions were given to Republican candidates for federal office or political action groups.<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-133px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”|auto|-1px|auto||” custom_padding=”17px||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Presidential elections” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Lora|||on|on||||” title_text_align=”center” title_text_color=”#000000″ title_font_size=”55px” title_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-5px||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”18px||12px|0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.thelantern.com\/projects\/files\/2024\/11\/trump-better.jpeg” alt=”Donald Trump speaks last month at a rally in Coachella, during which he threatened to withhold federal firefighting aid to California unless Gov. Gavin Newsom carries out his demands on water policy. Credit: Wally Skalij via TNS” title_text=”Trump” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”21px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”10px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-25px||17px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Donald Trump speaks last month at a rally in Coachella, during which he threatened to withhold federal firefighting aid to California unless Gov. Gavin Newsom carries out his demands on water policy. Credit: Wally Skalij via TNS
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”||-2px|||” custom_padding=”9px||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Though breakdowns of votes from Ohio State community members \u2014 or students, staff and\/or faculty \u2014 aren\u2019t available, donors who identified their employer as Ohio State strongly preferred donating to Vice President Harris over President-elect Donald Trump ahead of Election Day, filings show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifty-five percent of Ohio voted to re-elect Trump in the November election, according to the <\/span>Associated Press<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even so, Franklin County \u2014 where Ohio State\u2019s main campus is located \u2014 went solidly for Harris, as she won 63.7% of the vote.<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”50px|0px|50px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||on||||||” text_font_size=”30px” text_line_height=”1.2em” header_font=”||||||||” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”|-112px||-103px||” custom_padding=”|0px||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]According to data pulled through Nov. 5, at least 6,269 contributions totaling over $420,000 were made to Harris by Ohio State community members since 2023, while at least 596 contributions totaling about $23,800 were made to Trump.<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”16px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”11px||11px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]This is less support than Trump received in 2020, when at least 1,600 contributions from Ohio State community members totaled $69,500. In the same timeframe, then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden received at least 2,638 contributions totaling $341,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

Few donors supported third-party candidates in either election.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year, Green Party candidate Jill Stein received support from five community members for a total of just under $200. Four contributions were made to Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though each was made ahead of the Republican primary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ohio State community members didn\u2019t just contribute more frequently to Democratic nominees; they contributed larger quantities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The average contribution given to Harris and Biden across the past five years was $67 and $106, respectively. The average given to Trump in the same period was $42.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreno won the seat with 50.2% of the vote, according to <\/span>the Associated Press<\/span><\/a><\/span>, helping secure Republican control of the Senate. But ahead of voting, Ohio State donors leaned heavily in Brown\u2019s favor.<\/span><\/p>\n

At least 16 Ohio State community members gave to Moreno in the past two years, totaling nearly $8,000. Brown received at least 5,000 individual contributions, totaling more than $330,000.<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”6px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_padding=”78px||5px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]The same trend emerged in the 2022 race for the seat currently held by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2021 and 2022, then-candidate for the seat Tim Ryan received about 860 contributions, totaling over $100,000 from the Ohio State community. Vance received just 15 individual contributions, totaling $12,430 toward his campaign in the same period.<\/span><\/p>\n

In other high-profile congressional races this year, Democratic donors consistently outspent their Republican counterparts, but not at the same volume as Ohio. This was true in California’s 13th District and Michigan\u2019s Senate race.<\/span><\/p>\n

Faculty alone have contributed at least $1.7 million to candidates and committees in the past five years, with an average donation of $46.50 per person.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||on||||||” text_font_size=”30px” text_line_height=”1.2em” header_font=”||||||||” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”|-112px||-103px||” custom_padding=”|0px||0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”]Ninety-eight percent of all individual contributions went to Democrats, and this number drops by just 1% when aggregating for the total money spent. This means Democratic faculty have outspent their Republican counterparts in at least every election since 2020.<\/span>
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”6px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Lora||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”9px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]This notion that college campuses lean Democratic is widely shared, though few academic studies show its merit.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the <\/span>most complete studies<\/span><\/a><\/span> is nearly 20 years old, however, it shows that 46% of faculty members surveyed identify as moderate, followed by 44% who describe themselves as liberal and just 9% who identify as conservative. These numbers varied greatly by area of expertise and emeritus status.<\/span><\/p>\n