What Happened?

A newly formed outside spending group has poured roughly $1.58 million into Ohio's U.S. Senate race, promoting an independent candidate while also running ads against the Democratic nominee. Enough Promises Ohio is a super PAC, a political committee that may accept unlimited contributions but cannot coordinate its independent expenditures with candidates or their campaigns. ​

The Federal Election Commission (FEC), the agency that tracks political money, shows the committee's spending is concentrated entirely in the Ohio Senate special election, which features independent candidate Greg Levy and Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown, a former U.S. senator.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

About $1.06 million of the committee's spending promotes Levy, while roughly $519,000 opposes Brown, meaning the group is spending about twice as much boosting Levy as attacking Brown. Nearly all of that money flowed to two vendors: Seven Farms received approximately $828,000 for printing and postage, and Outbound Messaging LLC received approximately $753,000 for advertising. Last Friday, Outbound Messaging received two payments of $376,500 each, one supporting Levy and one opposing Brown.

Together, those two payments account for nearly half of the committee's total reported spending. Enough Promises Ohio is a small player compared to other outside groups in the race: SLF PAC has reported approximately $68.01 million opposing Brown and $1.71 million supporting Jon Husted, Defend American Jobs approximately $33.78 million supporting Husted and $12.89 million opposing Brown, and WinSenate approximately $42.62 million opposing Husted.

Enough Promises Ohio's reported $1.58 million is considerably smaller than those totals. Unlike those groups, Enough Promises Ohio has directed most of its money toward an independent candidate rather than either major-party nominee.

Both Sides, Now

Levy has condemned the mailers, saying they falsely impersonated his campaign and misled voters, and said he was considering legal action. The Associated Press traced the PAC's mail vendor to a Republican consulting operation connected to President Donald Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC. Congress sets the rules requiring outside groups to report those expenditures but does not control how the money is spent.

What Happens Next?

The later transactions still need to be reconciled against the group's original and amended FEC filings. The central question for Ohio voters: who is ultimately behind this money, and will it help or hurt Levy's chances?

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