Person

Robert Sprague

Republican · Treasurer of State of Ohio · born 1973 in Findlay, Ohio

9 of 11 sections researched

42 sources · 2022, 2026 · updated 2026-09-19

Not yet researched: What they have said, checked, Polling and approval.

What has been checked
  • Profile 7 entries
  • On the ballot 1 entry
  • Where they stand 8 entries
  • What they have said, checked None found in the records checked 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. 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
  • Record in office 12 entries
  • Money 8 entries
  • Financial interests 3 entries
  • Polling and approval None found in the records checked 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. Checked: Published general-election polling of the 2026 Ohio secretary of state race
  • Elections 2 entries Only his 2026 candidacy is published. His 2018 and 2022 elections for Treasurer of State wait on records for those races.
  • Endorsements given 1 entry
  • Sources 32 entries

Correct this page · hello@crackedbuckeye.com

No public-domain or Creative Commons photograph is published for this person.

On the ballot

Where they stand

Ballot drop boxes

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

Opposes Ohio’s current ballot drop-box system and pledges to ditch the drop boxes if elected.

April 30, 2026 · Campaign television advertisement, reported by WVXU

Sources: spragueforohio.com · wvxu.org

Election security

the most secure elections in Ohio history

2026 · Campaign site

Sources: spragueforohio.com · spragueforohio.com

Government transparency

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

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.

2022 · Campaign platform, reported by the research archive

Source: Robert Sprague

Issue 3 of 2026

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

Backed Issue 3, the 2026 Ohio constitutional amendment on a voter-identification requirement, and predicted it would pass overwhelmingly.

August 3, 2026 · Reported by The Daily Signal

Source: dailysignal.com

Paper ballots

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

Calls for more consistent statewide use of printed paper ballots with a secure paper trail, and for voting machines that provide one.

2026 · Campaign site

Sources: spragueforohio.com · spragueforohio.com

State investments

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

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.

October 19, 2022 · Interview with the Ohio Statehouse News Bureau

Source: Pensions and abortion become campaign issues in Ohio treasurer race

Voter identification

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

Supports requiring photo identification for voting in person and for voting by mail or absentee ballot.

2026 · Campaign site

Sources: spragueforohio.com · spragueforohio.com

Voter registration and citizenship

Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:

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.

2026 · Campaign site

Sources: spragueforohio.com · dailysignal.com

What they have said, checked

None found in the records checked

Record in office

  1. April 30, 2026 · statement

    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.

    Howard Wilkinson, WVXU: takes so many liberties with the truth · the source

    Howard Wilkinson, WVXU: pure fantasy · the source

    An opinion column in the Ohio Capital Journal: spreads false election hysteria · the source

    Sources: wvxu.org · ohiocapitaljournal.com

  2. September 2025 · action

    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.

    Jawhara Qutiefan, in the headline of an opinion column in the Columbus Free Press: Ohio’s Treasurer Is Playing Politics With Our Money: Robert Sprague, Chair, Cheerleader, and Salesman for Israel Bonds · the source

    Source: freepress.org

  3. May 2023 · action

    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.

    Source: en.wikipedia.org

  4. August 2022 · action

    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.

    Cleveland.com's editorial board, in an editorial that ultimately endorsed Sprague: flagged the bonuses even while ultimately endorsing him · the source

    Source: Robert Sprague for Ohio treasurer: endorsement editorial

  5. March 8, 2022 · action

    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.

    Source: Robert Sprague

  6. March 2022 · action

    Joined a multistate letter opposing proposed Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board rules on environmental, social and governance disclosure by municipal bond issuers.

    Source: en.wikipedia.org

  7. 2022 · action

    Oversaw an expanded and modernized version of the Ag-LINK loan program for Ohio farmers; 2022 set new participation records for the program.

    Source: tos.ohio.gov

  8. 2022 · action

    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.

    Sources: tos.ohio.gov · tos.ohio.gov

  9. October 26, 2020 · action

    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.

    Sources: city-attorney.columbus.gov · nbc4i.com

  10. October 2019 · action

    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.

    Sources: radio.wosu.org · radio.wosu.org

  11. 2019 · action

    Launched ResultsOHIO, a pay-for-success program within the Treasurer's office aimed at social and public-health challenges using outcomes-based private financing.

    Source: Robert Sprague

  12. 2019 · action

    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.

    Source: tos.ohio.gov

Money

Totals as filed

RaceFilerRaisedSpentCash on handAs of
Secretary of State of Ohio OhioSOS $2,100,000February 2025
Secretary of State of Ohio OhioSOS $66,000May 5, 2026
Secretary of State of Ohio OhioSOS $310,000$1,100,000June 12, 2026
Secretary of State of Ohio OhioSOS $212,696$1,200,000August 31, 2026
Secretary of State of Ohio OhioSOS Sprague for Ohio $1,082,011$1,732,432$1,199,566September 3, 2026
Ohio Treasurer of State OhioSOS SPRAGUE FOR OHIO $1,301,235$1,272,055December 31, 2022

Source: ohiocapitaljournal.com

Source: ohiocapitaljournal.com

Source: ohiocapitaljournal.com

Source: ohiocpa.com

Sources: data.ohiosos.gov · www6.ohiosos.gov · ohiosos.gov

Source: Robert Sprague - Ohio Candidate - 2022 Election cycle overview

Top donors, as filed

Financial interests

Disclosed income

  • Statutory salary of $130,204 a year as Treasurer of State of Ohio.

    2026

    Source: ballotpedia.org

Reported conflicts

  • 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.

    October 4, 2025 · Reported by Jawhara Qutiefan, in an opinion column in the Columbus Free Press

    Source: freepress.org

  • 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.

    2022 · Reported by OpenSecrets.org industry data, structural fact disclosed by the research archive

    Source: Board of Deposit

Polling and approval

None found in the records checked

Elections

RacePartyResultVotesShare
Secretary of State of Ohio (2026) RepublicanPending
Ohio Treasurer of State (2022) RepublicanWon 2,390,542 58.5%

Offices held

Endorsements

Endorsements given

  • Vivek Ramaswamy · 2026 · February 5, 2025

    Endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor on the day he announced his own run for secretary of state.

    Sources: dispatch.com · wosu.org

In the endorsement sets

Sources

Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: Robert Sprague · 2026 Ohio Secretary of State election · 2026 Ohio State Treasurer election · 2022 Ohio State Treasurer election

Every URL on this page, once each.

  1. Robert Sprague · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-18
  2. Robert Sprague · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-18
  3. 2026 Ohio Secretary of State election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-18
  4. 2026 Ohio State Treasurer election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-18
  5. 2022 Ohio State Treasurer election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-18
  6. Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague enters 2026 GOP primary for Secretary of State · Ohio Capital Journal · accessed 2026-09-18
  7. In Ohio Secretary of State race, it will be Allison Russo v. Robert Sprague · Ohio Capital Journal (AP) · 2026-05-05 · accessed 2026-09-18
  8. Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague announces run for Secretary of State · WOSU Public Media · 2025-02-05 · accessed 2026-09-18
  9. Ohio Secretary of State Candidates Speak to Their Priorities · The Daily Signal · 2026-08-03 · accessed 2026-09-18
  10. In primary contests for Ohio Secretary of State, debate features gerrymandering, election integrity · Ohio Capital Journal · 2026-04-08 · accessed 2026-09-18
  11. Analysis: Fact-checking Robert Sprague's TV ad on ballot drop boxes · WVXU (Cincinnati Public Radio) · 2026-04-30 · accessed 2026-09-18
  12. Ohio treasurer looking to play musical chairs with statewide office spreads false election hysteria · Ohio Capital Journal · 2026-05-01 · accessed 2026-09-18
  13. Sprague for Ohio — homepage/platform · Sprague for Ohio (campaign site) · accessed 2026-09-18
  14. Election Security · Sprague for Ohio (campaign site) · accessed 2026-09-18
  15. Treasurer Robert Sprague — biography · Ohio Treasurer's Office · accessed 2026-09-18
  16. Treasurer Sprague, Ohio DAS Announce New STABLE Collaboration · Ohio Treasurer's Office · accessed 2026-09-18
  17. Ohio's Bitcoin Tax Program Was Illegal, State Attorney General Says · WOSU Public Media / Ohio Statehouse News Bureau · accessed 2026-09-18
  18. Treasurer Suspends Ohio's Bitcoin Tax Program · WOSU Public Media · accessed 2026-09-18
  19. Press release on HB6 lawsuit naming FirstEnergy, Sam Randazzo, and Treasurer Robert Sprague · Columbus City Attorney's Office · 2020-10-26 · accessed 2026-09-18
  20. Columbus, Cincinnati launch lawsuit against FirstEnergy over House Bill 6 fees · NBC4 WCMH-TV · accessed 2026-09-18
  21. Ohio's Treasurer Is Playing Politics With Our Money: Robert Sprague, Chair, Cheerleader, and Salesman for Israel Bonds · Columbus Free Press · 2025-10-04 · accessed 2026-09-18
  22. Sprague among treasurers to oppose Morningstar ratings critical of Israel · Cleveland Jewish News · accessed 2026-09-18
  23. Sprague Wins State Treasurer's Race · WCBE · 2018-11-07 · accessed 2026-09-18
  24. Ohio Election 2022: Robert Sprague and Scott Schertzer run for Ohio Treasurer · WVXU · 2022-10-19 · accessed 2026-09-18
  25. Ohio primary election 2026: Democrat Allison Russo, Republican Robert Sprague win nominations for secretary of state · WKYC · accessed 2026-09-18
  26. Robert Sprague's Record as State Treasurer Proves He's Ready to Lead as Ohio's Next Secretary of State · Ohio Republican Party (partisan source) · accessed 2026-09-18
  27. Ohio Dems outraise Republicans in downballot statewide offices but still far behind in cash on hand · Ohio Capital Journal · 2026-07-03 · accessed 2026-09-18
  28. Ohio Ethics Commission home page · Ohio Ethics Commission · accessed 2026-09-18
  29. Online Financial Disclosure Statement filing portal · Ohio Ethics Commission · accessed 2026-09-18
  30. House Bill 6 was Ohio's biggest public corruption scandal. So why haven't the laws changed? · Cleveland.com · 2025-05 · accessed 2026-09-18
  31. Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague to run for secretary of state, backs Ramaswamy for governor · The Columbus Dispatch · 2025-02-05 · accessed 2026-09-18
  32. Campaign Finance Disclosure search system (official primary source; not fully queried this session) · Ohio Secretary of State · accessed 2026-09-18
  33. Ohio Treasurer election, 2022 · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
  34. Robert Sprague - full 2022-cycle contributor list · Transparency USA · accessed 2026-09-19
  35. https://ohiocpa.com/get-involved/news/2026/09/18/fundraising-reports-highlight-financial-divide-in-ohio-statewide-races
  36. https://data.ohiosos.gov/portal/campaign-finance
  37. https://www6.ohiosos.gov/ords/f?p=CFDISCLOSURE:4:::NO:RP,4::
  38. https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/campaign-finance
  39. Robert Sprague - Ohio Candidate - 2022 Election cycle overview · Transparency USA · accessed 2026-09-19
  40. Board of Deposit · Ohio Treasurer of State · accessed 2026-09-19
  41. Pensions and abortion become campaign issues in Ohio treasurer race · WOSU Public Media / Ohio Statehouse News Bureau · 2022-10-18 · accessed 2026-09-19
  42. Robert Sprague for Ohio treasurer: endorsement editorial · Cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer editorial board · 2022-10-19 · accessed 2026-09-19

Cite and data

Cite this page as:

Cracked Buckeye (Open Shower Co), "Robert Sprague", https://crackedbuckeye.com/people/robert-sprague/, built 2026-09-19, accessed [date].

Machine-readable: /api/politics/people/robert-sprague.json (open JSON, CC BY 4.0 for the compilation; the underlying records keep their own terms) · How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-09-19

Correct this page · hello@crackedbuckeye.com