Ohio candidates broke election-spending records in 2010

Ohio candidates broke several spending records during this year’s elections despite a troubled economy, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Candidates for the five nonjudicial statewide offices spent approximately $67.2 million from the $68.4 million raised. Candidates for governor spent $37.4 million, over $3 million more than in 2006.

The $5.7 million spent by John Kasich after Oct. 14 would help win the race for governor by two percentage points over Gov. Ted Strickland. Strickland spent $3.5 million from Oct. 21 on. The two spent more in the final two weeks of the election than former Gov. James A. Rhodes and Gov. Richard F. Celest on the entire 1986 governor’s race.

Kasich also received almost $425,000 after the election from 3,271 contributions, including 61 contributions of $1,000 and 36 others in larger amounts up to $11,000.

Republican Dave Yost and Democrat David Pepper helped make the race for state auditor the most expensive in Ohio history, peaking at $3.8 million.

“Pepper, a Hamilton County commissioner who loaned $390,000 to his campaign, spent nearly $2.7 million in his failed bid for office, just $43,000 shy of the all-time record in an auditor’s race, set by Republican Betty D. Montgomery, who won the seat in 2002,” wrote Columbus Dispatch writers Mark Niquette and Darrel Rowland.

For more statistics, read the report here.