Prepared by: Kelly Fitzgerald, Bull Moose Strategy LLC
Date: April 2, 2026
Election: May 5, 2026 Republican Primary — Licking County Commissioner
These are people actively looking for election information. Highest conversion value.
| Keyword | Match Type | Est. CPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| licking county commissioner | Broad | $1-3 | Primary search term |
| licking county commissioner candidates | Broad | $1-3 | Active voter research |
| licking county commissioner 2026 | Broad | $1-2 | Election-specific |
| licking county republican primary | Broad | $1-2 | Party-specific |
| licking county election 2026 | Broad | $1-2 | General election search |
| who is running for licking county commissioner | Broad | $0.50-1.50 | Question format |
| may 5 primary ohio | Broad | $0.50-1.50 | Date-specific |
| mark van buren commissioner | Exact | $0.25-0.75 | Name search (defense) |
| van buren licking county | Broad | $0.50-1 | Name search variant |
People searching about Licking County issues relevant to Mark's platform.
| Keyword | Match Type | Est. CPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| licking county ohio news | Broad | $0.50-1.50 | News seekers |
| newark ohio election | Broad | $0.50-1.50 | Newark voter searches |
| heath ohio election | Broad | $0.50-1 | Heath voter searches |
| granville ohio election | Broad | $0.50-1 | Granville voter searches |
| harrison township ohio | Broad | $0.25-0.75 | Mark's township |
| licking county development | Broad | $0.50-1.50 | Issue: growth |
| licking county property tax | Broad | $0.50-1.50 | Issue: fiscal |
Capture searches for competitors and redirect to Mark's site.
| Keyword | Match Type | Est. CPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| jeff rath licking county | Broad | $0.25-0.50 | Highest threat competitor |
| bill bogantz commissioner | Broad | $0.25-0.50 | Only one running Meta ads |
| greg smith licking county | Broad | $0.25-0.50 | Weak candidate |
ZIP codes covering Licking County:
43008, 43011, 43013, 43014, 43016, 43018, 43022, 43023, 43025, 43026,
43030, 43031, 43032, 43033, 43046, 43050, 43054, 43055, 43056, 43062,
43068, 43071, 43073, 43076, 43080, 43093, 43098, 43101, 43107, 43109,
43110, 43112, 43130, 43147, 43148, 43150, 43155, 43162
Note: Google blocks radius targeting for political ads. ZIP code only.
Headline 1: Mark Van Buren for Commissioner
Headline 2: 25 Years of Township Leadership
Headline 3: Republican Primary — May 5
Description 1: Harrison Township Trustee for 25 years. OTA Board of Directors. MBA in Finance. The experience Licking County needs.
Description 2: Fiscal conservative with a proven record. Vote Van Buren on May 5th. Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren.
Final URL: citizensforvanburen.com
Headline 1: A Conservative Voice for Licking County
Headline 2: Mark Van Buren — Fiscal Responsibility
Headline 3: Vote May 5 — Republican Primary
Description 1: 25 years managing township budgets. MBA in Finance. Mark Van Buren will bring fiscal discipline to the Commissioner's office.
Description 2: Protecting your tax dollars and agricultural land. Vote Van Buren, May 5th. Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren.
Final URL: citizensforvanburen.com
Headline 1: Mark Van Buren — Licking County's Own
Headline 2: Farmer. Trustee. Conservative.
Headline 3: Vote May 5 for Commissioner
Description 1: Born and raised in Licking County. Van Buren Acres farmer. 25-year Harrison Township Trustee. Mark knows this community.
Description 2: Real experience. Real roots. Real results. Vote Van Buren for Commissioner, May 5th. Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren.
Final URL: citizensforvanburen.com
Primary audience: Licking County registered voters likely to vote in Republican primary
- Age: 25-65+ (primary voters skew older)
- Gender: All
- Location: Licking County, OH (ZIP codes above)
- Interests: Local news, Ohio politics, Republican Party, farming/agriculture, community involvement, property rights, fiscal conservatism
- Behavioral proxies for R primary voters: Fox News, Newsmax, NRA, Republican National Committee, conservative talk radio, Ohio Farm Bureau
Note: Meta CANNOT target by party registration (banned Jan 2022). Must use behavioral proxies.
Format: Single image (Mark headshot or farm photo)
Copy:
Mark Van Buren has been serving Licking County for 25 years as your Harrison Township Trustee. Now he's running for County Commissioner.
Farmer. Fiscal conservative. MBA in Finance. OTA Board of Directors.
Mark has the experience and the roots to lead Licking County forward.
Vote Van Buren — May 5th Republican Primary.
Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren
Format: Single image (Mark at township meeting or community event)
Copy:
25 years as Harrison Township Trustee
Ohio Township Association Board of Directors
TID Board (Intel infrastructure)
MBA in Finance
While others talk about leading Licking County, Mark Van Buren has been doing it for a quarter century.
Vote Van Buren for Commissioner — May 5th.
Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren
Format: Single image (Mark with farm/county backdrop)
Copy:
Licking County needs a Commissioner who understands budgets — not just approves them.
Mark Van Buren: MBA in Finance. 25 years managing township resources. A proven fiscal conservative who protects your tax dollars.
Vote Van Buren — May 5th Republican Primary.
Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren
Format: Single image (Van Buren Acres)
Copy:
Mark Van Buren doesn't just talk about protecting Licking County's farmland. He lives it every day at Van Buren Acres.
As Harrison Township Trustee, Mark added agricultural zoning protections to keep developers from swallowing our farms.
As Commissioner, he'll do the same for all of Licking County.
Vote Van Buren — May 5th.
Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren
Format: Single image (Mark confident pose)
Copy:
Five candidates. One who's been doing the work for 25 years.
Mark Van Buren — the only candidate with a quarter century of elected experience in Licking County government.
Experience matters. Vote Van Buren for Commissioner — May 5th.
Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren
15-second bumper:
[Mark to camera or voiceover with photos]
"I'm Mark Van Buren. 25 years serving Harrison Township. Farmer. Fiscal conservative. I'm running for Licking County Commissioner. Vote Van Buren — May 5th. Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren."
30-second in-stream:
[Farm visuals / community visuals / Mark speaking]
"For 25 years, I've served as your Harrison Township Trustee. I've managed budgets, protected farmland, and built infrastructure for our community's future. Now I'm asking for your vote for Licking County Commissioner. I'm Mark Van Buren — a farmer, a fiscal conservative, and a proven leader. Vote Van Buren in the Republican Primary, May 5th. Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren."
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Apr 3 | Mark completes Google + Meta identity verification (Done) |
| Apr 6 | Photos + issues received from Mark |
| Apr 7-8 | Build ad creative (images, copy finalized) |
| Apr 8-9 | Submit ads for platform review |
| Apr 9-10 | Ads approved, campaigns go live (Done — April 9) |
| Apr 10-20 | Awareness phase — broad reach |
| Apr 14+ | Traffic phase — drive to website |
| Apr 21 | Mid-campaign performance review, adjust targeting/creative |
| Apr 28 | GOTV phase begins — "Vote May 5" |
| May 4 | Final push — all budgets on GOTV |
| May 5 | ELECTION DAY — pause all ads by 7 PM |
| Candidate | Website | FB Ads | Digital Presence | Threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Rath | jeffrath.com (PARKED) | None | Zero | Highest (Newark, former council) |
| Bill Bogantz | billbogantz.com (Canva) | 13 ads, ~$500-800, active with endorsement creatives (Houser, Salvage), ~70K-80K+ impressions | Basic | Medium |
| Greg Smith | None found | None | Zero | Low |
| James Snedden Jr | None found | None | Zero | Low (perennial, party-switcher) |
Mark will be the only candidate with professional digital advertising managed by a consultant. This is a massive advantage in a 5-way race where 3 of 4 opponents have zero digital presence.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This document is confidential and intended solely for the use of Mark A. Van Buren, Catherine Baird, and authorized members of Citizens for Van Buren. It contains proprietary campaign strategy and consulting information prepared by Bull Moose Strategy LLC. Unauthorized use, disclosure, copying, or distribution is strictly prohibited.