Local donors spend thousands in political process

Oct. 28, 2010, Port Clinton News Herald

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

Special to the News Herald

There’s no escaping it. The campaign signs. The television ads. The mailers. Political campaigns dump millions into the local economy every two years in an effort to shape voter opinion.

Who pays for it all? It’s a mix. Thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling this year, third-party groups can now run ads without disclosing their donors, who are mostly corporations and labor unions, said William Angel, a political science professor at The Ohio State University.

However, many of the dollars flowing through campaigns come from people here in the community. Individuals can give directly to candidates or to political action committees, which either will spend on a candidate’s behalf or give to the candidate directly.

Political donors in Ottawa County spent hundreds of thousands on elections this year, with the top donors spending about $161,400 on candidates.