Jon Husted (REP, incumbent), Faris Write In (IND), Frederick Ode (DEM), Greg Levy (IND), Ron Kincaid (DEM), Sherrod Brown (DEM), William Redpath (LIB).
117 ads analyzed, 47 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. 5 official office videos shown separately below.
Findings
As of 2026-09-23. Counts are of distinct ads; the same text run many times is one ad.
Ads analyzed
117 (Meta 115, YouTube 2) · started running between 2026-05-01 and 2026-09-22
With at least one technique
47 of 117 (40%)
Most common techniques
Loaded Language · 37 adsAppeal to Fear · 30 adsName Calling · 27 ads
Meta
45 of 115 (39%) flagged · Loaded Language (35), Appeal to Fear (28), False Urgency (26)
YouTube
2 of 2 flagged · Appeal to Fear (2), Loaded Language (2), Name Calling (2)
Reported Meta spend
$1,345,100–1,723,072 on all ads, $538,000–703,359 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“SCANDAL” — Loaded Language, paid for by WINSENATE
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
Money in this race
From FEC filings for 2025–26. Outside spending is money a group spends on its own about a candidate — TV and online ads, mail, canvassing. It is not a donation to the campaign, and the candidate does not control it. Supporting means it was spent to help that candidate win; Opposing means it was spent to defeat them, usually on attack ads. Groups report it within 24 or 48 hours as the election nears. Raised is the campaign's own fundraising, as of its latest quarterly report. Largest donors come from each outside spender's own FEC receipts, with each donor's share of its itemized receipts; donors under $100,000 are not named.
Jon Husted (REP, incumbent)
Raised
$14.4M through 2026-06-30individuals $6.3M · PACs $2.3M · party $62K · from the candidate's other committees $5.7M · cash on hand $9.4M
WINSENATE— $11.3M opposing Husted
· 3 ads on this pageLargest donors: SMP $4.1M (100%)AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ACTION, INC. (AFP ACTION) DBA CVA ACTION AND DBA LIBRE ACTION— $6.0M supporting Husted
· 6 ads on this pageLargest donors: KOCH INC $30.0M (33%); STAND TOGETHER INC. $20.0M (22%); WALTON, JIM C. $7.0M (8%); WALTON, S ROBSON $7.0M (8%); STAND TOGETHER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC $6.5M (7%)NRDC ACTION VOTES— $3.0M opposing Husted
· 3 ads on this pageLargest donors: NRDC ACTION FUND $3.1M (100%)EDF ACTION VOTES— $2.5M opposing HustedLargest donors: ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION FUND $8.7M (73%); MANDEL, SUSAN Z. $2.5M (21%); SALL, JOHN $100K (1%); SALL, VIRGINIA $100K (1%); HOSTETTER, BARBARA $100K (1%)LCV VICTORY FUND— $1.5M opposing HustedLargest donors: LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS, INC. $18.0M (84%); DEMOCRACY PAC $500K (2%); RANDALL, GIOVANNA $375K (2%); LAUFER, ERIC $375K (2%); GREEN ADVOCACY PROJECT $300K (1%)and 13 more
$38.6M through 2026-06-30individuals $31.1M · PACs $861K · party $200 · from the candidate's other committees $6.3M · cash on hand $16.2M
Outside spending
$45.7M opposing Brown · $1.5M supporting Brown· latest reported 2026-09-21
Largest outside spenders
SLF PAC— $21.3M opposing Brown
· 14 ads on this pageLargest donors: ONE NATION $70.7M (28%); ADELSON, MIRIAM $30.0M (12%); SCHWARZMAN, STEPHEN A. $17.0M (7%); SINGER, PAUL ELLIOTT $14.5M (6%); MUSK, ELON $10.0M (4%)NO GOING BACK PAC INC.— $12.5M opposing BrownAMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ACTION, INC. (AFP ACTION) DBA CVA ACTION AND DBA LIBRE ACTION— $4.2M opposing Brown
· 6 ads on this pageLargest donors: KOCH INC $30.0M (33%); STAND TOGETHER INC. $20.0M (22%); WALTON, JIM C. $7.0M (8%); WALTON, S ROBSON $7.0M (8%); STAND TOGETHER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC $6.5M (7%)OHIO FLYER PAC— $3.1M opposing BrownLargest donors: A PUBLIC VOCIE, INC. $1.0M (35%); TEAM HUSTED $513K (18%); CONNOR, LAWRENCE S $250K (9%); COLLERAN, BRIAN $250K (9%); CHEVRON CORPORATION $200K (7%)AMERICA PAC— $2.2M opposing Brown
· 8 ads on this pageLargest donors: MUSK, ELON $20.1M (>99%)and 19 more
Showing the 3 ads paid for by NRDC ACTION VOTES. Show all 117 ads
Paid for by NRDC ACTION VOTESfrom 2026-09-182 variantsspend $6,000–7,498675,000–799,998 impressions
Senator Jon Husted testified in the trial related to the largest public corruption scheme in Ohio history. As Lt. Governor, Husted worked closely with the company to pass the bailout after it helped fund his campaign, tried to distance himself from FirstEnergy executives. Prosecutors said that there are inconsistencies between Husted’s testimony and the evidence presented at court.
News5 Cleveland
Paid for by NRDC Action Votes
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by NRDC ACTION VOTESfrom 2026-09-182 variantsspend $7,500–8,998800,000–949,998 impressions
Jon Husted is at the heart of Ohio’s largest-ever corruption scandal. He led the charge to approve a $1 billion dollar bailout for FirstEnergy – after the utility supported his campaign with a million dollars. Today, Ohio families are paying $663 more a year for electricity, and bills are still climbing.
Tiffin Ohio
Paid for by NRDC Action Votes
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by NRDC ACTION VOTESfrom 2026-09-179 variantsspend $57,100–71,6912,583,000–3,048,991 impressions
SCANDAL: A secret $1 million payment to help Jon Husted’s campaign, and Husted got FirstEnergy a massive, billion-dollar bailout. We weren’t supposed to know... they just want us to pay the price. Find out how Ohio is getting screwed at HustedHike.com.
Loaded LanguageExaggeration/HyperboleConspiracy AppealAppeal to PrejudiceAppeal to FearFalse Urgency100.0% of sentences flagged
Loaded Language: The word 'SCANDAL' in all caps and 'massive, billion-dollar bailout' use emotionally charged language to trigger outrage — for example: SCANDAL, massive, billion-dollar bailout and Ohio is getting screwed.
Exaggeration/Hyperbole: Describing the bailout as 'massive' and 'billion-dollar' stacks superlatives to amplify the perceived scale of wrongdoing — for example: massive, billion-dollar bailout
Conspiracy Appeal: Implies a hidden plot to keep information from the public, suggesting shadowy actors deliberately concealed the truth — for example: We weren't supposed to know
Appeal to Prejudice: Uses 'us' vs 'they' framing to create an in-group/out-group dynamic, implying ordinary people are being victimized by powerful elites — for example: they just want us to pay the price
Appeal to Fear: Implies that the audience will suffer financial consequences as a result of the alleged corruption, creating anxiety to drive action — for example: pay the price
False Urgency: The imperative 'Find out' combined with the emotionally loaded framing pressures the audience to act immediately without deliberation — for example: Find out how Ohio is getting screwed
Claims checked
“A secret $1 million payment to help Jon Husted’s campaign” Checked as: A secret $1 million payment was made to help Jon Husted's campaignNo authoritative evidence found
Verdict right?
Not paid ads. These come from an officeholder's official channel: they are publicly funded and may not contain campaign content, so they are a different kind of speech from the ads above and are not counted with them. We show the same technique analysis; their claims are not checked, because an office's figures are mostly documented by its own press releases.
Husted: We make them right here in Ohio 08 31 26
Official office video · Senator Jon Hustedvideo · 0:40from 2026-08-31
I'm here outside the Lima Tank Plant. I was just in there watching the workers build uh the tanks that keep America's war fighters safe. And we're going to get more funding for this facility, a new generation of investment to upgrade this place to make the the next uh generation of weapon systems, which will provide secure jobs for the people that work at the Lima Tank Plant, and the 227 companies around the state of Ohio that are part of the supply chain for this. So, very, very important facility. It's important that we uh continue to support uh the best weapon system for America's military, and we make them right here in Ohio.
no techniques found
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Husted: Celebrating National Shooting Sports Month
Official office video · Senator Jon Hustedvideo · 1:09from 2026-08-31
Pull. >> We're here at Blackwing. They have a great shooting sports center here. We've been here for 24 years, family-owned business, and [music] specialize really in in all the shooting sports. So, we have indoor rifle and pistol ranges, outdoor shotgun ranges, gunsmiths, do large events, corporate events, really anything that you need we can provide. >> And what I've learned today is about how you have so many youth sports. A lot of schools are now doing shooting sports as part of their extracurriculars. >> We do. In fact, the shotgun sports is the fastest growing sport in high school right now, and we are seeing a boom with the with the high school kids here [music] at Blackwing. >> Yeah, it's really cool. Well, it's national shooting sports month. We're celebrating it. >> [music] >> Uh I made some progress on my target shooting today. DID OKAY. OH, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF room to improve on that. But, hey, I love being out here. I love hunting, I love fishing, I love all the outdoor sports that I can participate in, and we're we're grateful to have Blackwing hosting us today.
no techniques found
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
My team helped Katherine regain her coverage, and they can help you, too.
Official office video · Senator Jon Hustedvideo · 1:31from 2026-08-25
Cathy Will, Lancaster, Ohio. I am a lifelong Ohio citizen. I uh was in the process of registering for Medicare and had worked with the local office. I was told that I wouldn't be able to register because the time had lapsed. So, I reached out to the senator's office and um I I was amazed, absolutely amazed at the contact. I do believe I received a response from an email within a day or two. Oh, the team at Senator Husted's office is wonderful with a capital W. The response was so timely. The team was able to approach their contacts in the Medicare office and explain the situation. I think it was approximately 1 month it was handled and I had my part B coverage. I received it in a timely fashion and I was able to make my appointments to take care of my medical concerns. If you have an issue that you're having trouble with resolution, I highly recommend it calling Senator Husted's office and talking to someone there. There's also an online um possibility and they are wonderful communication and also wonderful productivity and resolution.
no techniques found
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Husted: It's time to empower first-time homebuyers
Official office video · Senator Jon Hustedvideo · 1:07from 2026-08-20
When I got appointed to the US Senate, I committed myself to focusing on issues that matter to working families in Ohio. One of those things is making life more affordable for them. Home ownership is one of those issues. Home ownership has long been considered part of achieving your version of the American dream. But it's become difficult for many working families to afford housing and particularly for young people to have the hope that they can buy a home. That's why I'm leading a bipartisan firsttime home buyer empowerment act. This bill would allow people to use unused 529 college savings, of which 40% of Ohioans with children have these accounts. It would allow them tax-free to use these accounts towards a down payment for first-time home purchase. By freeing up existing resources, we're helping Ohioans get closer to buying that first home so they can achieve their version of the American dream. It's so important that we help young people off to a good start. Giving them flexibility on how they use 529 accounts is one of those things.
no techniques found
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Husted: It's time for a national voter ID law 08 08 26
Official office video · Senator Jon Hustedvideo · 1:22from 2026-08-08
Madam President, >> the gentleman from Ohio is recognized. >> Madame President, using a photo ID to vote is common sense. It's an issue Americans broadly support. So tonight, this early morning, I'm offering a clean, simple, straightforward bill to require a photo ID to vote in America. Voters can use a driver's license, a stateisssued ID, passport, military or veterans ID, or tribal ID. No additional restrictions, no tricks, no games, no prohibitions on absentee voting. 36 states require some form of voter ID. Photo ID laws have been tested in elections across this country and they work. So, so tonight I'm asking my colleagues to answer one simple question. Should you have to prove who you are when you vote? Americans think we should, and tonight we'll find out if their senators agree. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill to establish a nationwide photo ID standards and give Americans better run, honest, and fair elections. Madame President, I yield the floor.
no techniques found
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
What this page is
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it comes from a national Senate group and ran mostly in OH; or it ran mostly in OH and names a candidate — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.
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