Who is spending what in race for US Senator from Ohio?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Finance reports show money is coming into Ohio’s U.S. Senate race from all over the country. Incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown is facing off against Republican candidate Bernie Moreno. It’s a key battleground race that could determine which party controls the Senate. NBC4 Investigates sifted through the most recent filings showing [...]

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Finance reports show money is coming into Ohio’s U.S. Senate race from all over the country.

Incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown is facing off against Republican candidate Bernie Moreno. It’s a key battleground race that could determine which party controls the Senate.

NBC4 Investigates sifted through the most recent filings showing how much money both candidates are raising. That cash and the balance of power in the Senate make Ohio a battleground state in this election.

It’s something the Buckeye state hasn’t seen in a while: Ohio went for Donald Trump in 2016 and again in 2020. Now in 2024, he’s already leading the polls in Ohio, showing again that it isn’t a battleground state for the presidency.

However, it is a battle for control of the Senate and that’s why the race is seeing so much money pouring in.

"We're a battleground state when it comes to the veto is what it is,” Democratic strategist Brian Rothenberg said. “This is really about a veto. If the Democrats can maintain control of the Senate, regardless of what happens in the presidential race, the veto stays in place. That's a very important thing for checks and balances in the country.”

NBC4 Investigates compared numbers from the principal campaign committees that raise and spend money for a candidate, for both Moreno and Brown.

The most recent filings cover April 1 through June 30. In day-to-day spending, which includes television ads, Brown outspent Moreno by more than $16 million.

However, a Republican strategist said this may not matter.

"When I talk about money regarding this race, I look at the money situation for the last race we had for U.S. Senate two years ago with JD Vance and Tim Ryan,” Republican strategist Bob Clegg said. “Tim Ryan outspent JD Vance at least three to one, maybe even four to one, and it didn't matter. Money can only do so much for you.”

Rothenberg sees money in the race differently.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) data shows Brown has raised the third most of any Senate race in the country; Moreno is 22nd.

"It is hugely expensive, and frankly, it takes a lot of attention away from the actual people in state, because in order for either Moreno or Brown to win, you have to raise money and you're probably doing that 80% of your campaign time," Rothenberg said.

That time spent fundraising is paying off and shows eyes are on this race.

"It's pretty much what you would expect,” Clegg said. “The coastal elites give to the Democrats and, you know, more conservative types down south are the ones, they give to Republicans.”

FEC records NBC4 Investigates checked show most of Brown's donors are from Ohio, California and New York. For Moreno, it’s Ohio, Florida and New York.

NBC4 also dug through the employers of people who are contributing. For both campaigns, most individuals listed "None or "Self-employed," but the Moreno campaign did get more than $34,000 from Goldman Sachs employees. Brown received more than $50,000 from employees at the Ohio State University.

Brown has more money and is spending more than Moreno, but whether that matters depends, right now, on which side of the aisle you fall on.

"I think Bernie is actually following the same game plan that JD Vance did two years ago,” Clegg said. “JD wasn't up hardly at all, if at all, during the summer of 2022 and it didn't hurt him. I think Bernie's campaign is just holding back the money because they know people really aren't going to click until after Labor Day.”

Something else from the FEC records: for Moreno’s individual donations, amounts of $2,000 or more showed the highest dollar amount. For Brown, the category for individual donations of $200 or less showed the highest dollar amount.

We will continue watching the money throughout this race: where the donations are coming in from, how much is being spent and where.