As the Republican party endorses secretary of state candidate, see who has raised more

While one Republican candidate seeking the secretary of state office says he is “not for sale,” the Ohio Party endorsed his primary challenger.

The state party on Friday endorsed Treasurer of State Robert Sprague in the primary, where he will challenge Marcell Strbich. A review of donations so far reveals that Sprague also has a fundraising advantage over Strbich, though Strbich appears to pull in more donations from individuals rather than unions, environmental groups, and banks.

An Ohio.News examination of Transparency USA records discovered that Strbich, who received $363,952.43 in donations after announcing his campaign, was receiving money from either his relatives or private citizens willing to donate to his campaign. The only exception to that rule was a former Republican U.S. Senate candidate, Mark Pukita.

The examination of the donation records of Democratic candidate Allison Russo – $396,920.79 in donations – and Republican candidate Robert Sprague – $1,032,689.15 in donations – the difference could not be more different.

The overwhelming amount of money donated to Russo came from either unions’ political action committees or umbrella groups comprised of unions.

Among them were Ohio State Building & Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO, an umbrella group comprised of local construction unions and their members who work for Ohio ($16,615.67 in donations); and political action committees of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ($16,600 in donations), Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters ($16,000), the Ohio Education Association Political Contributing Entity ($10,500 in donations), the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades ($10,000 in donations), and SEIV District 1199 ($10,000 in donations).

In addition to receiving donations from Affiliated Construction Trades Ohio Foundation ($16,615.67) and Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters’ ($16,000) committees, Sprague also received money from Cf Bank ($61,101.73), the Ohio Republican State Central & Executive Committee State Candidate Fund ($31,056.69), David F. Herche of Hbh Holidings, Inc., an investment and holding company ($16,615.00), and Gayle and Donald A. Oeters, Republican donors in Ohio, ($15,000).

The only other candidate in the race, Democratic candidate Bryan Hambley, is mostly funded by private citizens, among them his relatives, and has received $676,138.81 in donations. However, the records indicate that one of his top donors is Cardine Gabel, President and CEO of the environmental group, The Shared Earth Foundation, who donated $12,500 to his campaign.

In a post on X, Strbich added that the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee, the same organization that donated to Sprague’s campaign, allegedly called him last week, urging him to drop out of the race and offering him a paid job in the Secretary of State’s office.

“To set the record straight – I am not for sale. I will not compromise my mission, values, principles and beliefs in exchange for my silence,” he wrote on X. “Unlike my career politician opponent, I am running because I want to do the job – not hold a title or build a political career. Ohio deserves that kind of leader.”

🚨 MARCELL STRBICH IS NOT FOR SALE

On Sunday, February, 8th, I received a call from a Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee member who tried to coax me to drop out of the race prior to the State Party's February 20th meeting, where they will entertain endorsing in my…

— Marcell Strbich (@marcellstrbich) February 10, 2026

After that, the member of the committee told Strbich that the Ohio Republican Party would not allow him to win and use “whatever resources necessary to defeat” him.

“It has become abundantly clear that some in the Ohio Republican Party do not want our candidates to be picked by Ohio voters, but candidates who are handpicked and easily controlled,” he wrote. “This party boss style of politics is what is eroding and destroying the Ohio Republican Party. It will lead directly to an unmotivated base in elections going forward.”