{ "born": { "place": "Findlay, Ohio", "year": 1973 }, "candidacies": [ { "notes": "He won the May 5, 2026 Republican primary with over 70 percent over Marcell Strbich; there is no primary race record to point at. He announced a run for governor on January 18, 2025 and withdrew it on February 5, 2025.", "party": "Republican", "pct": null, "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "result": "pending", "sources": [ "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ohio_Secretary_of_State_election", "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/05/05/in-ohio-secretary-of-state-race-it-will-be-allison-russo-v-robert-sprague-ap-projects/", "https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/politics/elections/ohio-primary-election-2026-democrat-allison-russo-republican-robert-sprague-win-nominations-secretary-of-state/95-5af22fe2-d004-4c39-b7be-0a4fddc45cc1" ], "votes": null }, { "party": "Republican", "pct": 58.55, "race": "2022-treasurer", "result": "won", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "title": "2022 Ohio State Treasurer election", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Ohio_State_Treasurer_election" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Ballotpedia", "title": "Ohio Treasurer election, 2022", "url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Ohio_Treasurer_election,_2022" } ], "votes": 2390542 } ], "county": null, "coverage": { "ballot": "researched", "claims": { "checked": [ "The research archive fact-check pass of 2026-09-18, which searched PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, AP Fact Check and The Washington Post Fact Checker" ], "note": "The research archive searched all four and found no rated check of a Sprague statement. Two news analyses of his campaign advertising are carried as attributed evaluations in Record in office instead.", "state": "none-found" }, "elections": { "note": "Only his 2026 candidacy is published. His 2018 and 2022 elections for Treasurer of State wait on records for those races.", "state": "researched" }, "endorsements": "researched", "interests": "researched", "money": "researched", "polling": { "checked": [ "Published general-election polling of the 2026 Ohio secretary of state race" ], "note": "No poll of this race was found. A January 2026 poll of the Republican primary field carries no link in the research archive and is not published.", "state": "none-found" }, "positions": "researched", "profile": "researched", "record": "researched", "sources": "researched" }, "current_office": "Treasurer of State of Ohio", "donors": [ { "affiliation": "Party-aligned political committee", "amount": 16615, "in_state": null, "name": "Republican State Leadership Committee, Ohio chapter", "notes": "The legal maximum, given in the pre-primary period, per Ohio Capital Journal of July 3, 2026 citing Ohio Secretary of State filings. The archive records no other named 2026 donor for this race and says its itemized query of his 2026 committee was not completed.", "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "sources": [ "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/07/03/ohio-democrats-outraising-republicans-in-downballot-statewide-offices-but-still-far-behind-in-cash-on-hand-campaign-finance-filings-show/" ], "vehicle": "pac" }, { "amount": 156287.43, "in_state": true, "name": "Ohio Republican PAC", "race": "2022-treasurer", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Transparency USA", "title": "Robert Sprague - full 2022-cycle contributor list", "url": "https://www.transparencyusa.org/oh/candidate/robert-sprague-13504/contributors?cycle=2022-election-cycle" } ], "vehicle": "party" } ], "endorsements_given": [ { "cycle": 2026, "date": "2025-02-05", "note": "Endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor on the day he announced his own run for secretary of state.", "of": "vivek-ramaswamy", "sources": [ "https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/05/robert-sprague-mounts-bid-for-secretary-of-state-backs-vivek-ramaswamy/77973361007/", "https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2025-02-05/ohio-treasurer-robert-sprague-expected-to-announce-run-for-secretary-of-state" ] } ], "endorsements_received": [], "finance": [ { "as_of": "2025-02", "cash": 2100000, "filer": "OhioSOS", "notes": "Cash carried over from his Ohio Treasurer campaign committee when he entered the Secretary of State race in February 2025, not money raised for this race. Given as about $2.1 million.", "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "raised": null, "sources": [ "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/07/03/ohio-democrats-outraising-republicans-in-downballot-statewide-offices-but-still-far-behind-in-cash-on-hand-campaign-finance-filings-show/" ], "spent": null }, { "as_of": "2026-05-05", "cash": null, "filer": "OhioSOS", "notes": "Given as over $66,000, raised in the final weeks before the May 5, 2026 primary.", "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "raised": 66000, "sources": [ "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/07/03/ohio-democrats-outraising-republicans-in-downballot-statewide-offices-but-still-far-behind-in-cash-on-hand-campaign-finance-filings-show/" ], "spent": null }, { "as_of": "2026-06-12", "cash": 1100000, "filer": "OhioSOS", "notes": "The second 2026 disclosure period, roughly mid-April to June 12, 2026. Given as over $310,000 raised and over $1.1 million cash on hand.", "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "raised": 310000, "sources": [ "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/07/03/ohio-democrats-outraising-republicans-in-downballot-statewide-offices-but-still-far-behind-in-cash-on-hand-campaign-finance-filings-show/" ], "spent": null }, { "as_of": "2026-08-31", "cash": 1200000, "filer": "OhioSOS", "notes": "The August 2026 monthly report, reported September 18, 2026. Cash on hand given as nearly $1.2 million. This figure is stated in the archive file for Allison Russo, which is why that file is in research_ref.", "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "raised": 212696, "sources": [ "https://ohiocpa.com/get-involved/news/2026/09/18/fundraising-reports-highlight-financial-divide-in-ohio-statewide-races" ], "spent": null }, { "as_of": "2026-09-03", "cash": 1199566.13, "committee_id": "Sprague for Ohio", "filer": "OhioSOS", "notes": "Calendar year 2026 to date (reports filed January 30, 2026 through September 3, 2026), summed from the individual periodic reports (annual, pre-primary, post-primary, and the July and August monthly reports) in the Ohio Secretary of State's candidate cover-page export, cross-checked against the live Cover Page advanced search at www6.ohiosos.gov (Candidate Committees, Candidate Name search) on 2026-09-19, which returned matching per-report totals for the committee. Cash on hand is the balance on hand reported on the August Monthly report (period ending September 3, 2026), the most recent report on file. This entry is sourced directly to the Secretary of State's filing system (N-8), separate from any press-reported finance entry already on this record.", "race": "2026-secretary-of-state", "raised": 1082011.49, "sources": [ "https://data.ohiosos.gov/portal/campaign-finance", "https://www6.ohiosos.gov/ords/f?p=CFDISCLOSURE:4:::NO:RP,4::", "https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/campaign-finance" ], "spent": 1732432.45 }, { "as_of": "2022-12-31", "cash": null, "committee_id": "SPRAGUE FOR OHIO", "filer": "OhioSOS", "notes": "Per Transparency USA's compilation of Ohio Secretary of State filings for the 2021-2022 cycle window; spot-checked against the Ohio SOS's own database. OpenSecrets' state-office profile gives a higher $1,856,317 figure that appears to misclassify a vendor payment (Strategic Media Placement Inc.) as a contribution.", "race": "2022-treasurer", "raised": 1301235, "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Transparency USA", "title": "Robert Sprague - Ohio Candidate - 2022 Election cycle overview", "url": "https://www.transparencyusa.org/oh/candidate/robert-sprague-13504?cycle=2022-election-cycle" } ], "spent": 1272055 } ], "id": "robert-sprague", "interests": [ { "date": "2025-10-04", "kind": "reported_conflict", "reported_by": "Jawhara Qutiefan, in an opinion column in the Columbus Free Press", "sources": [ "https://freepress.org/article/ohio%E2%80%99s-treasurer-playing-politics-our-money-robert-sprague-chair-cheerleader-and-salesman" ], "what": "An October 2025 opinion column reported that Marathon Petroleum’s political action committee and its employees gave more than $26,850 to his 2018 campaign, and that he serves as general chair of the Israel Bonds Government, Industry and Financial Services Leadership Group while the state’s holdings of those bonds have grown under him. The column is an opinion piece, not a finding by a regulator or a fact-checker." }, { "date": "2026", "kind": "income", "notes": "Per Ballotpedia. The archive gives no date; the year is the year of the race.", "sources": [ "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague" ], "what": "Statutory salary of $130,204 a year as Treasurer of State of Ohio." }, { "date": "2022", "kind": "reported_conflict", "reported_by": "OpenSecrets.org industry data, structural fact disclosed by the research archive", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Ohio Treasurer of State", "title": "Board of Deposit", "url": "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/board-of-deposit" } ], "what": "As Treasurer, chairs the Ohio Board of Deposit, which certifies commercial banks as eligible depositories for public funds; the same banking industry (KeyCorp, Fifth Third Bancorp, Huntington Bancshares) was among his 2022 donor categories, per OpenSecrets." } ], "links": { "ballotpedia": "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague", "chamber": "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/bio/", "official": "https://www.spragueforohio.com/", "ohio_campaign_finance": "https://www6.ohiosos.gov/ords/f?p=CFDISCLOSURE", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sprague" }, "name": "Robert Sprague", "net_worth": [], "notes": "P1-02b. Left out, and why: design/reports/politics/P1-02b.md. His fifteen 2018 Treasurer-race donors are withheld, not lost: donors[].race is required and points at a race record, and there is no 2018-treasurer record yet. They are listed in the research archive at data/candidates-2026/robert-sprague.md under \"Top donors / donor industries\", sourced to Wikipedia citing Ohio Secretary of State 2018 filings, and belong to whichever task writes the 2018 cycle (P3-03). The one donor published here is the only named 2026 donor the archive records for this race; it says its own itemized query of his 2026 committee was never completed. P3-03 (2026-09-19): extended with the 2022 Treasurer cycle -- candidacy, two positions, three record entries, one finance entry, one donor, one interest -- from cracked-buckeye-political's data/candidates-2022/robert-sprague.md.", "offices": [ { "from": "2011", "how": "elected", "office": "Ohio House of Representatives, 83rd district", "sources": [ "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sprague" ], "to": "2018" }, { "from": "2019-01-14", "how": "elected", "notes": "Reelected in 2022 and term-limited from a third full term.", "office": "Treasurer of State of Ohio", "sources": [ "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague", "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/bio/" ], "to": null } ], "outside_spending": [], "party": "Republican", "photo": null, "polling": [], "positions": [ { "date": "2026", "issue": "Election security", "notes": "His campaign message is given in the archive as \"Stopping Fraud. Securing our Elections\", and he also says he would protect \"your vote, your voice, your family\".", "paraphrase": false, "quote": "the most secure elections in Ohio history", "sources": [ "https://www.spragueforohio.com/", "https://www.spragueforohio.com/election-security" ], "venue": "Campaign site" }, { "date": "2026", "issue": "Voter identification", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Supports requiring photo identification for voting in person and for voting by mail or absentee ballot.", "sources": [ "https://www.spragueforohio.com/", "https://www.spragueforohio.com/election-security" ], "venue": "Campaign site" }, { "date": "2026-04-30", "issue": "Ballot drop boxes", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Opposes Ohio’s current ballot drop-box system and pledges to ditch the drop boxes if elected.", "sources": [ "https://www.spragueforohio.com/", "https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2026-04-30/analysis-fact-check-robert-sprague-tv-ad-ballot-drop-boxes" ], "venue": "Campaign television advertisement, reported by WVXU" }, { "date": "2026", "issue": "Voter registration and citizenship", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Wants a front-end citizenship check on voter registration, citing Ohio’s 2022 passage of State Issue 2 with about 77 percent support, which limited voting to United States citizens, and says his opponent’s 2020 support for automatic voter registration would risk registering noncitizens if it were carried out administratively.", "sources": [ "https://www.spragueforohio.com/election-security", "https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/03/ohio-secretary-of-state-priorities/" ], "venue": "Campaign site" }, { "date": "2026", "issue": "Paper ballots", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Calls for more consistent statewide use of printed paper ballots with a secure paper trail, and for voting machines that provide one.", "sources": [ "https://www.spragueforohio.com/", "https://www.spragueforohio.com/election-security" ], "venue": "Campaign site" }, { "date": "2026-08-03", "issue": "Issue 3 of 2026", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Backed Issue 3, the 2026 Ohio constitutional amendment on a voter-identification requirement, and predicted it would pass overwhelmingly.", "sources": [ "https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/03/ohio-secretary-of-state-priorities/" ], "venue": "Reported by The Daily Signal" }, { "date": "2022", "issue": "Government transparency", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Continued and touted ResultsOHIO, a pay-for-success program he launched that funds public-health and social initiatives with private capital repaid by the state only if outcome targets are met, and OhioCheckbook.com, a government-spending transparency tool.", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Ballotpedia", "title": "Robert Sprague", "url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague" } ], "venue": "Campaign platform, reported by the research archive" }, { "date": "2022-10-19", "issue": "State investments", "paraphrase": true, "quote": "Pledged to keep ESG (environmental/social/governance) factors out of the state's roughly $28 billion investment and pension-related decisions, framing this as fiduciary duty rather than politics.", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "date": "2022-10-18", "publisher": "WOSU Public Media / Ohio Statehouse News Bureau", "title": "Pensions and abortion become campaign issues in Ohio treasurer race", "url": "https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2022-10-18/pensions-and-abortion-become-campaign-issues-in-ohio-treasurer-race" } ], "venue": "Interview with the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau" } ], "record": [ { "date": "2019-10", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "sources": [ "https://radio.wosu.org/post/ohios-bitcoin-tax-program-was-illegal-state-attorney-general-says", "https://radio.wosu.org/post/treasurer-suspends-ohio-s-bitcoin-tax-program-0" ], "what": "Suspended OhioCrypto.com, the program launched by his predecessor Josh Mandel that let businesses pay taxes in bitcoin, after the office of Attorney General Dave Yost found that the arrangement with the payment processor BitPay had not gone through the competitive selection and Board of Deposit approval the law requires." }, { "date": "2019", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "notes": "The archive gives no year; the date is the first year of his term as treasurer.", "sources": [ "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/bio/" ], "what": "As Treasurer of State, created the Family Forward program, which offers reduced-interest loans of up to $50,000 to help prospective parents cover adoption costs." }, { "date": "2020-10-26", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "sources": [ "https://city-attorney.columbus.gov/pdf/press/hb6_preliminary_injunction.pdf", "https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus-and-cincinnati-say-in-lawsuit-against-firstenergy-over-house-bill-6-fees/" ], "what": "Was named a defendant in his official capacity as Treasurer, alongside FirstEnergy and the then chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Sam Randazzo, in an October 26, 2020 lawsuit by the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati seeking to have House Bill 6 declared unconstitutional and repealed. The Treasurer’s office administers certain funds and charges the law created; the suit did not allege personal involvement." }, { "date": "2022", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "sources": [ "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/bio/", "https://tos.ohio.gov/newsroom/article/treasurer-sprague-ohio-das-announce-new-stable-collaboration/" ], "what": "As Treasurer of State, grew participation in Ohio’s STABLE account program, which offers savings accounts for Ohioans with disabilities, from fewer than 10,000 accounts to more than 31,000 by the end of his first term." }, { "date": "2022", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "sources": [ "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/bio/" ], "what": "Oversaw an expanded and modernized version of the Ag-LINK loan program for Ohio farmers; 2022 set new participation records for the program." }, { "date": "2022-03", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "notes": "Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, citing the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau, a Utah State Treasurer multistate letter, Ballotpedia and The Bond Buyer.", "sources": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sprague" ], "what": "Joined a multistate letter opposing proposed Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board rules on environmental, social and governance disclosure by municipal bond issuers." }, { "date": "2023-05", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "notes": "Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.", "sources": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sprague" ], "what": "Joined 21 other state financial officers in a letter and questionnaire to large asset managers and proxy advisers about their environmental, social and governance practices." }, { "date": "2025-09", "evaluations": [ { "by": "Jawhara Qutiefan, in the headline of an opinion column in the Columbus Free Press", "said": "Ohio’s Treasurer Is Playing Politics With Our Money: Robert Sprague, Chair, Cheerleader, and Salesman for Israel Bonds", "url": "https://freepress.org/article/ohio%E2%80%99s-treasurer-playing-politics-our-money-robert-sprague-chair-cheerleader-and-salesman" } ], "kind": "action", "notes": "The evaluation is the column’s headline; the archive quotes no sentence from the body.", "sources": [ "https://freepress.org/article/ohio%E2%80%99s-treasurer-playing-politics-our-money-robert-sprague-chair-cheerleader-and-salesman" ], "what": "Ohio’s holdings of Israel Bonds rose under him from about $167.5 million before October 2023 to more than $277 million by September 2025, while he served as general chair of the Israel Bonds Government, Industry and Financial Services Leadership Group." }, { "date": "2026-04-30", "evaluations": [ { "by": "Howard Wilkinson, WVXU", "said": "takes so many liberties with the truth", "url": "https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2026-04-30/analysis-fact-check-robert-sprague-tv-ad-ballot-drop-boxes" }, { "by": "Howard Wilkinson, WVXU", "said": "pure fantasy", "url": "https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2026-04-30/analysis-fact-check-robert-sprague-tv-ad-ballot-drop-boxes" }, { "by": "An opinion column in the Ohio Capital Journal", "said": "spreads false election hysteria", "url": "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/05/01/ohio-treasurer-looking-to-play-musical-chairs-with-statewide-office-spreads-false-election-hysteria/" } ], "kind": "statement", "notes": "Neither piece is a rated fact-check from PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, AP Fact Check or The Washington Post, and the archive says so. The date is the date of the WVXU analysis; the archive does not date the advertisement itself.", "sources": [ "https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2026-04-30/analysis-fact-check-robert-sprague-tv-ad-ballot-drop-boxes", "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/05/01/ohio-treasurer-looking-to-play-musical-chairs-with-statewide-office-spreads-false-election-hysteria/" ], "what": "Ran a 2026 campaign television advertisement about Ohio’s ballot drop boxes, showing a cartoon character named Lefty the Cheat emerging from one, and campaigned on new checks against noncitizen voter registration." }, { "date": "2019", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "notes": "The archive gives the year his office launched the program, not a single date.", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Ballotpedia", "title": "Robert Sprague", "url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague" } ], "what": "Launched ResultsOHIO, a pay-for-success program within the Treasurer's office aimed at social and public-health challenges using outcomes-based private financing." }, { "date": "2022-08", "evaluations": [ { "by": "Cleveland.com's editorial board, in an editorial that ultimately endorsed Sprague", "said": "flagged the bonuses even while ultimately endorsing him", "url": "https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2022/10/robert-sprague-for-ohio-treasurer-endorsement-editorial.html" } ], "kind": "action", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "date": "2022-10-19", "publisher": "Cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer editorial board", "title": "Robert Sprague for Ohio treasurer: endorsement editorial", "url": "https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2022/10/robert-sprague-for-ohio-treasurer-endorsement-editorial.html" } ], "what": "A Sprague-appointed member of the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) investment board voted to approve roughly $10 million in bonuses to about 90 investment staff in the same year the pension fund reported roughly $3 billion in investment losses." }, { "date": "2022-03-08", "evaluations": [], "kind": "action", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-19", "publisher": "Ballotpedia", "title": "Robert Sprague", "url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague" } ], "what": "Joined other state treasurers in a multistate comment letter opposing a Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board proposal for ESG-related disclosure requirements on municipal bond issuers." } ], "research_ref": [ "cracked-buckeye-political@b5291c6a147d356f768bea96a9dc281ca604771b:data/candidates-2026/robert-sprague.md", "cracked-buckeye-political@b5291c6a147d356f768bea96a9dc281ca604771b:data/candidates-2026/allison-russo.md", "cracked-buckeye-political@b5291c6a147d356f768bea96a9dc281ca604771b:data/candidates-2026/README.md", "cracked-buckeye-political@227826cce4a0ba161340ffd8153332cbe6cb2d5d:data/candidates-2022/robert-sprague.md", "cracked-buckeye-political@227826cce4a0ba161340ffd8153332cbe6cb2d5d:data/candidates-2022/README.md" ], "sort_name": "Sprague, Robert", "sources": [ { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ballotpedia", "title": "Robert Sprague", "url": "https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Sprague" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "title": "Robert Sprague", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sprague" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "title": "2026 Ohio Secretary of State election", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ohio_Secretary_of_State_election" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "title": "2026 Ohio State Treasurer election", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ohio_State_Treasurer_election" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Wikipedia", "title": "2022 Ohio State Treasurer election", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Ohio_State_Treasurer_election" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Capital Journal", "title": "Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague enters 2026 GOP primary for Secretary of State", "url": "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/ohio-republican-treasurer-robert-sprague-enters-2026-gop-primary-for-secretary-of-state/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2026-05-05", "publisher": "Ohio Capital Journal (AP)", "title": "In Ohio Secretary of State race, it will be Allison Russo v. Robert Sprague", "url": "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/05/05/in-ohio-secretary-of-state-race-it-will-be-allison-russo-v-robert-sprague-ap-projects/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2025-02-05", "publisher": "WOSU Public Media", "title": "Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague announces run for Secretary of State", "url": "https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2025-02-05/ohio-treasurer-robert-sprague-expected-to-announce-run-for-secretary-of-state" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2026-08-03", "publisher": "The Daily Signal", "title": "Ohio Secretary of State Candidates Speak to Their Priorities", "url": "https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/03/ohio-secretary-of-state-priorities/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2026-04-08", "publisher": "Ohio Capital Journal", "title": "In primary contests for Ohio Secretary of State, debate features gerrymandering, election integrity", "url": "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/04/08/secretary-of-states-race-faces-two-primary-contests-debate-over-gerrymandering-election-integrity/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2026-04-30", "publisher": "WVXU (Cincinnati Public Radio)", "title": "Analysis: Fact-checking Robert Sprague's TV ad on ballot drop boxes", "url": "https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2026-04-30/analysis-fact-check-robert-sprague-tv-ad-ballot-drop-boxes" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2026-05-01", "publisher": "Ohio Capital Journal", "title": "Ohio treasurer looking to play musical chairs with statewide office spreads false election hysteria", "url": "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/05/01/ohio-treasurer-looking-to-play-musical-chairs-with-statewide-office-spreads-false-election-hysteria/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Sprague for Ohio (campaign site)", "title": "Sprague for Ohio — homepage/platform", "url": "https://www.spragueforohio.com/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Sprague for Ohio (campaign site)", "title": "Election Security", "url": "https://www.spragueforohio.com/election-security" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Treasurer's Office", "title": "Treasurer Robert Sprague — biography", "url": "https://www.tos.ohio.gov/bio/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Treasurer's Office", "title": "Treasurer Sprague, Ohio DAS Announce New STABLE Collaboration", "url": "https://tos.ohio.gov/newsroom/article/treasurer-sprague-ohio-das-announce-new-stable-collaboration/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "WOSU Public Media / Ohio Statehouse News Bureau", "title": "Ohio's Bitcoin Tax Program Was Illegal, State Attorney General Says", "url": "https://radio.wosu.org/post/ohios-bitcoin-tax-program-was-illegal-state-attorney-general-says" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "WOSU Public Media", "title": "Treasurer Suspends Ohio's Bitcoin Tax Program", "url": "https://radio.wosu.org/post/treasurer-suspends-ohio-s-bitcoin-tax-program-0" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2020-10-26", "publisher": "Columbus City Attorney's Office", "title": "Press release on HB6 lawsuit naming FirstEnergy, Sam Randazzo, and Treasurer Robert Sprague", "url": "https://city-attorney.columbus.gov/pdf/press/hb6_preliminary_injunction.pdf" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "NBC4 WCMH-TV", "title": "Columbus, Cincinnati launch lawsuit against FirstEnergy over House Bill 6 fees", "url": "https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus-and-cincinnati-say-in-lawsuit-against-firstenergy-over-house-bill-6-fees/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2025-10-04", "publisher": "Columbus Free Press", "title": "Ohio's Treasurer Is Playing Politics With Our Money: Robert Sprague, Chair, Cheerleader, and Salesman for Israel Bonds", "url": "https://freepress.org/article/ohio%E2%80%99s-treasurer-playing-politics-our-money-robert-sprague-chair-cheerleader-and-salesman" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Cleveland Jewish News", "title": "Sprague among treasurers to oppose Morningstar ratings critical of Israel", "url": "https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/sprague-among-treasurers-to-oppose-morningstar-ratings-critical-of-israel/article_2f9268f6-2877-11ed-9c28-03a719710436.html" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2018-11-07", "publisher": "WCBE", "title": "Sprague Wins State Treasurer's Race", "url": "https://www.wcbe.org/news/2018-11-07/sprague-wins-state-treasurers-race" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2022-10-19", "publisher": "WVXU", "title": "Ohio Election 2022: Robert Sprague and Scott Schertzer run for Ohio Treasurer", "url": "https://www.wvxu.org/2022-10-19/ohio-election-2022-robert-sprague-and-scott-schertzer-run-for-ohio-treasurer" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "WKYC", "title": "Ohio primary election 2026: Democrat Allison Russo, Republican Robert Sprague win nominations for secretary of state", "url": "https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/politics/elections/ohio-primary-election-2026-democrat-allison-russo-republican-robert-sprague-win-nominations-secretary-of-state/95-5af22fe2-d004-4c39-b7be-0a4fddc45cc1" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Republican Party (partisan source)", "title": "Robert Sprague's Record as State Treasurer Proves He's Ready to Lead as Ohio's Next Secretary of State", "url": "https://ohiogop.org/robert-sprague-state-treasurer-record-ohio-secretary-of-state/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2026-07-03", "publisher": "Ohio Capital Journal", "title": "Ohio Dems outraise Republicans in downballot statewide offices but still far behind in cash on hand", "url": "https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/07/03/ohio-democrats-outraising-republicans-in-downballot-statewide-offices-but-still-far-behind-in-cash-on-hand-campaign-finance-filings-show/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Ethics Commission", "title": "Ohio Ethics Commission home page", "url": "https://www.ethics.ohio.gov/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Ethics Commission", "title": "Online Financial Disclosure Statement filing portal", "url": "https://disclosure.ethics.ohio.gov/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2025-05", "publisher": "Cleveland.com", "title": "House Bill 6 was Ohio's biggest public corruption scandal. So why haven't the laws changed?", "url": "https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/05/house-bill-6-was-ohios-biggest-public-corruption-scandal-so-why-havent-the-laws-changed.html" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "date": "2025-02-05", "publisher": "The Columbus Dispatch", "title": "Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague to run for secretary of state, backs Ramaswamy for governor", "url": "https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/05/robert-sprague-mounts-bid-for-secretary-of-state-backs-vivek-ramaswamy/77973361007/" }, { "accessed": "2026-09-18", "publisher": "Ohio Secretary of State", "title": "Campaign Finance Disclosure search system (official primary source; not fully queried this session)", "url": "https://www6.ohiosos.gov/ords/f?p=CFDISCLOSURE" } ], "updated": "2026-09-19", "type": "person", "coverage_meter": { "slug": "robert-sprague", "name": "Robert Sprague", "sections": { "profile": { "id": "profile", "title": "Profile", "state": "researched", "count": 7, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "ballot": { "id": "ballot", "title": "On the ballot", "state": "researched", "count": 1, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "positions": { "id": "positions", "title": "Where they stand", "state": "researched", "count": 8, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "claims": { "id": "claims", "title": "What they have said, checked", "state": "none-found", "count": 0, "checked": [ "The research archive fact-check pass of 2026-09-18, which searched PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, AP Fact Check and The Washington Post Fact Checker" ], "note": "The research archive searched all four and found no rated check of a Sprague statement. Two news analyses of his campaign advertising are carried as attributed evaluations in Record in office instead.", "empty_state": "None found in the records checked" }, "record": { "id": "record", "title": "Record in office", "state": "researched", "count": 12, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "money": { "id": "money", "title": "Money", "state": "researched", "count": 8, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "interests": { "id": "interests", "title": "Financial interests", "state": "researched", "count": 3, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "polling": { "id": "polling", "title": "Polling and approval", "state": "none-found", "count": 0, "checked": [ "Published general-election polling of the 2026 Ohio secretary of state race" ], "note": "No poll of this race was found. A January 2026 poll of the Republican primary field carries no link in the research archive and is not published.", "empty_state": "None found in the records checked" }, "elections": { "id": "elections", "title": "Elections", "state": "researched", "count": 2, "checked": [], "note": "Only his 2026 candidacy is published. His 2018 and 2022 elections for Treasurer of State wait on records for those races.", "empty_state": null }, "endorsements": { "id": "endorsements", "title": "Endorsements given", "state": "researched", "count": 1, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null }, "sources": { "id": "sources", "title": "Sources", "state": "researched", "count": 32, "checked": [], "note": null, "empty_state": null } }, "order": [ "profile", "ballot", "positions", "claims", "record", "money", "interests", "polling", "elections", "endorsements", "sources" ], "researched": 9, "total": 11, "pct": 81.81818181818181, "sources": 42, "cycles": [ "2022", "2026" ], "updated": "2026-09-19", "not_researched": [ "What they have said, checked", "Polling and approval" ] }, "party_label": "Republican", "current_office_title": "Treasurer of State of Ohio", "claims": { "said": [], "about": [], "said_api": [], "about_api": [] }, "races": [ { "id": "2026-secretary-of-state", "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/2026/secretary-of-state/", "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/politics/races/2026-secretary-of-state.json" }, { "id": "2022-treasurer", "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/2022/treasurer/", "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/politics/races/2022-treasurer.json" } ], "_meta": { "generated": "2026-09-19", "license": "CC BY 4.0 for the compilation; each source keeps its own terms", "cite": "Cracked Buckeye (Open Shower Co), \"Robert Sprague · Treasurer of State of Ohio\", https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/robert-sprague/, built 2026-09-19, accessed [date].", "schema": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/politics/schema.json", "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/robert-sprague/", "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/politics/people/robert-sprague.json" }, "cite": "Cracked Buckeye (Open Shower Co), \"Robert Sprague · Treasurer of State of Ohio\", https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/robert-sprague/, built 2026-09-19, accessed [date].", "url": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/robert-sprague/", "api": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/politics/people/robert-sprague.json", "license": "CC BY 4.0 for the compilation; each source keeps its own terms", "generated": "2026-09-19", "schema": "https://crackedbuckeye.com/api/politics/schema.json" }