Frontline Democracy’s new donor map for the 2026 Election can be a bit overwhelming, so I’ve decided I’m going to do a deep dive into the data for one crucial 2026 Senate contest: Ohio.
The nationwide map shows which party leads with individual donors at the local level (We have data for every ZIP code). The map will be updated regularly.
Fundraising Data can be an Indicator
What can fundraising data even tell us about the possible outcomes of the election in November? Past presidential races have clearly shown us that money is not everything. That’s why, apart from dollar amounts, I wanted to take a look at how many individual donors each Senate candidate accumulated at ZIP code level.
This project was inspired by one of my favorite New York Times visualizations. A few months ahead of the first contest of the 2020 Democratic Primary, they published an extremely detailed map showing which candidate has the most individual donors. Bernie Sanders held a commanding lead across almost the entire map, hinting at a juggernaut grassroots campaign that would make him win the most votes in three of the first four contests. Most candidates performed best around their home states, with Pete Buttigieg’s grassroots support spilling into Iowa (a state he went on to win). Joe Biden’s numbers were strongest in Delaware, but his second-best area was the black belt in the Deep South. He went on to win African American voters by a large margin, securing the nomination.
That NYT project showed that donor maps aren’t just visual treats; they can be of value. In Ohio, our individual donor map shows a landslide for Sherrod Brown across the state (The picture is more mixed when looking at dollar amounts; more on that below).
The data displayed on the map has a few important limitations. First, this map – much like our national map – only looks at in-state donations, and strong fundraisers like Sherrod Brown benefit from Democratic donors in California and New York. Second, this data solely includes contributions from donors who donated a total of $200 over the 2025-2026 election cycle. FEC Donation files from donors who do not spend this much do not include ZIP code details. That mostly influences Democratic candidates, who rely heavily on small-dollar donations. 42% of Brown’s nationwide $30 million contribution tally came from unitemized donors, compared to only 21% for Husted.
As I indicated above, Republican Jon Husted closes the gap a bit when we don’t look at who leads with individual donors, but at who has raised more money.
The difference between the two maps is unsurprising. As I’ve analyzed in another visualization at the start of this year, Republican Senators rely more on larger donations. While they often have fewer unique donors, their average donations are larger, making them more competitive when it comes to money.
What can we take from this data? Brown also leads in the money race, even more so when you start counting out-of-state contributions. He should have no trouble flooding the airwaves until November. That being said, field work is perhaps more important in turning out and convincing voters, and Republicans have built up strong infrastructure in Ohio in the past year. Nevertheless, Brown’s outstanding grassroots donation support in the state may hint at Democratic excitement.
Brown Leads City Centers, Husted in Wealthy Suburbs
Brown leads across most of the state with individual donors, stacking up the numbers in and around the state’s large cities. The money map offers a more interesting picture.
While Brown still does well in the cities, Husted manages to register on the map near population hubs, too. He leads in various ZIP codes near Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. These ZIP codes often represent wealthier suburbs.
An example is the ZIP code 45243, which is located in Hamilton County in the suburbs of Cincinnati. Husted leads here with $180 thousand dollars, his largest lead. The area has an average household income of $170,006 which is more than double of Ohio’s statewide average.
What About Other Senate Races?
In other states, the donor picture doesn’t look as rosy for Democrats as it does in Ohio. In Michigan, for example, where Democrats had a divided and late primary, their nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, still lags behind Mike Rogers across most of the state.
You can find the map with all Senate races here.
(Some states are still missing; I’ll update the map regularly)