IF YOU CAN’T TAKE THE HEAT, GET OUT OF POLITICS

Mark Pukita
July 10, 2025

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I take a lot of heat for my posts critical of Ohio’s elected GOP representatives in Columbus. That’s OK. Someone needs to do it. Traditionally that was the job of the “press” (now known as “mainstream media”). The lack of an independent, unbiased, press is a major contributor to what brought us to where we are today: an absolute mess, especially in Ohio.

What I have pointed out the past few days, the money flow from the party despots to the campaign committees of freshmen legislators, should be eye-opening. It is designed to control them. Keep them in line. Perpetuate a system of patronage & fealty. Their constituents should be asking questions of THEM. Instead, many come to their defense. Until more people start asking questions of THEM we will continue to bemoan how rigged, manipulated, and corrupt is governance in Ohio.

Let me compare the financial reports of the Ohio House freshmen members. Bookmark or save them. And then, when they (once again) disappoint you, or amazinging (and rarely) delight you, pull out the list and follow the money. Use some deduction & intuition about the amounts (large or small) and the sources (how much from what sources) and how they might impacts one’s behavior. Trust your gut. I believe it will explain, at least partially, the situation in dollars & cents.

Pizzulli, Justin*
$707,932.42 in contributions
11.48% from individual donors
88.52% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Brian Lorenz*
$535,961.98 in contributions
23.04% from individual donors
76.96% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Heidi Workman
$461,116.50 in contributions
23.67% from individual donors
76.33% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Kellie Deeter
$374,064.09 in contributions
61.89% from individual donors
38.11% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Tex Fischer*
$359,459.33 in contributions
9.33% from individual donors
90.67% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Ty Mathews
$343,364.01 in contributions
49.16% from individual donors
50.84% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Mike Odioso
$223,720.37 in contributions
58.50% from individual donors
41.50% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Jack Daniels
$211,272.28 in contributions
35.13% from individual donors
64.87% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Jodi Salvo
$187,160.76 in contributions
52.31% from individual donors
47.69% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Kevin Ritter
$132,941.37 in contributions
60.52% from individual donors
39.48% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

David Thomas
$118,093.50 in contributions
53.72% from individual donors
46.28% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Meredith Craig
$107,486.50 in contributions
40.69% from individual donors
59.31% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Levi Dean
$105,778.22 in contributions
94.91% from individual donors
5.09% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Diane Mullens
$91,983.08 in contributions
71.00% from individual donors
29.00% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Michelle Teska
$90,829.30 in contributions
61.43% from individual donors
38.57% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Matthew Kishman
$88,822.79 in contributions
47.62% from individual donors
52.38% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Mark Hiner
$53,211.23 in contributions
13.50% from individual donors
86.50% from “the GOP machine”, PACs, and unions

Please let me know if I missed anyone, or made any errors. If I did, my apologies!
*Appointed last GA so not technically “freshmen”.