Buckeye Leadership Fund spent $7.7M on independent expenditures in the 2024 federal elections, and 84% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2024). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 42% ended up on the winning side ($2.7M won, $3.8M lost).
Outside spending
$7.7M
On the winning side
42%
$2.7M
On the losing side
$3.8M
Supporting vs attacking
16% / 84%
$1.2M for, $6.5M against
Follow the money
Who filled the envelope
Buckeye Leadership Fund reported $8.0M in gifts from people, companies, nonprofits and other PACs. The biggest are below.
- Chamber of Commerce of the USACompany / nonprofit$4.1M (52%)
- Eva DolanIndividual$1.0M (13%)
- Larry DolanIndividual$1.0M (13%)
- Ardleigh Impact CorpCompany / nonprofit$625K (8%)
- Leslie WexnerIndividual$250K (3%)
- Richard EmmetIndividual$250K (3%)
- Jason LucarelliIndividual$250K (3%)
- Susan HaslamIndividual$125K (2%)
- James Haslam IIIIndividual$125K (2%)
- James DavisIndividual$100K (1%)
Where the money went
Biggest targets, with whether each one paid off.
✓ Backed the winner or attacked the loser ✗ Backed the loser or attacked the winner Result not matched
| Candidate | Race | Spending | Amount | Paid off? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernard F. Moreno | Ohio Senate (primary) | Attacking | $3.8M | ✗ No |
| Frank Larose | Ohio Senate (primary) | Attacking | $2.7M | ✓ Yes |
| Matt Dolan | Ohio Senate (primary) | Supporting | $1.2M | Unknown |
Questions people ask
- How much did Buckeye Leadership Fund spend in 2024, and did it win?
- Buckeye Leadership Fund spent $7.7M on independent expenditures in the 2024 federal elections, and 84% of it helped Democrats (FEC filings through Dec 31, 2024). Counting dollars, not candidates, and only races already called, 42% ended up on the winning side ($2.7M won, $3.8M lost).
- Who funds Buckeye Leadership Fund?
- Its biggest reported donors in the 2024 cycle were Chamber of Commerce of the USA ($4.1M), Eva Dolan ($1.0M), Larry Dolan ($1.0M), Ardleigh Impact Corp ($625K), Leslie Wexner ($250K), out of $8.0M received from donors tracked here.
- Which candidates did Buckeye Leadership Fund spend the most on in 2024?
- against Bernard F. Moreno (Ohio Senate, $3.8M, lost); against Frank Larose (Ohio Senate, $2.7M, won); for Matt Dolan (Ohio Senate, $1.2M, unknown).