Licking County Commissioner — Republican Primary, May 5, 2026

Prepared by: Bull Moose Strategy LLC
Date: April 3, 2026 (updated April 14, 2026)
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL — Campaign Strategy Material
Sources: Public records, news archives, social media, government databases

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Bill Bogantz is a more formidable candidate than initially assessed. He is a former Fortune 500 IT executive (AT&T Bell Labs, Lucent, CenturyLink, Pearson) who managed 750+ global engineers and $100M+ budgets before pivoting to real estate. He holds a Master's in Computer Science from Purdue and a Bachelor's in Electronics Engineering from DeVry. He is a Liberty Township Trustee (8 years, 3rd term), licensed real estate broker, and the only candidate besides Van Buren running digital advertising. His campaign website has 10 sections and 10 policy focus areas — more sophisticated than any other opponent. His messaging centers on "God FAMILY COUNTRY," positions himself as a political outsider, and emphasizes faith, pro-life values, 2A rights, and anti-solar/responsible growth. He is the most direct competitor for Van Buren's rural conservative voter base.

Threat Level: MEDIUM-HIGH (upgraded from MEDIUM after full website + LinkedIn crawl)
Primary Vulnerability: Recently left corporate career (Dec 2022) — career politician criticism flips to "recently unemployed IT executive playing realtor." Real estate broker conflict of interest remains.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

ELECTORAL HISTORY

POLICY POSITIONS & PUBLIC RECORD

Anti-Solar Farm Advocacy (Primary Issue)

Bogantz has been the most vocal elected official in Licking County opposing large-scale solar developments:
- Led Liberty Township's push to ask county commissioners to exclude large solar developments
- Publicly stated: "The residents of Liberty Township enjoy beautiful rural settings with rolling hills, forests and very fertile and productive farmland"
- Argued solar farms are "unsightly, devour thousands of acres of farmland and decrease property values in the project area"
- This issue has been covered by Farmers Advance and other agricultural media

Anti-State Zoning Override

• Opposed Ohio Senate Bill 243 (statewide zoning preemption)
• Stated: "The state could put an asphalt plant wherever they want"
• Liberty Township Trustees wrote that residents "should have the right to govern how their community develops and grows"
• Opposed politicians whose "only goal appears to be GROW AT ALL COSTS"

Local Control / Anti-Growth

• Strong "local control" messaging on zoning and development
• Positioned as anti-development, anti-corporate-farming, pro-rural
• Updated Liberty Township comprehensive plan with community input

CAMPAIGN INFRASTRUCTURE

Digital Presence

Campaign Organization

• Committee: Likely "Supporters of Bill Bogantz" (carryover from trustee campaign)
• LCRP Endorsement: No formal endorsement for any commissioner candidate
• No LCRP fundraiser — unlike Rath, LCRP did not organize a fundraiser for Bogantz
• Donations: Uses Anedot platform on website (common for Republican campaigns)

Website Analysis (billbogantz.com)

• Platform: Canva Website Builder (free/low-cost)
• Design: Single-page application (SPA) with 10 sections
• Donation: Anedot integration
• SEO: Zero — no title tags, meta descriptions, or sitemap
• Analytics: Zero — no GA4 or tracking pixels detected
• Performance: Not optimized for mobile or search
• Assessment: Functional but amateur. Better than no website (Rath, Smith, Snedden), but no match for a professionally built campaign site.

Ad Analysis (Meta Ads Library, as of April 9, 2026)

Updated April 11: Bogantz now at 13 total ads. As of Apr 11 he is running endorsement ads for Houser, Salvage, and a third unidentified endorser (image-only format, created Apr 10). Creative strategy is image-only endorsement pattern, rotating at short intervals.

• 13 total ads since March 8, 2026 (active as of Apr 11)
• Estimated total spend: ~$500-800
• Estimated total impressions: ~70,000-80,000+
• Assessment: Bogantz has escalated to endorsement-driven creative in the final 24 days. Still outmatched by Van Buren's professional operation ($22/day, 12 ads, dual campaigns), but the endorsement ads signal a deliberate closing strategy. Monitor the third endorser (Ad ID 1710597353440177, Apr 10) — if it's a named Licking County figure, counter-response plan needed within 48 hours.

STRENGTHS

1. Only other candidate with digital ads — demonstrates some campaign sophistication (though minimal spend)
2. Anti-solar positioning — resonates with rural voters who fear losing farmland to industrial solar
3. Local control messaging — strong with Republican voters who distrust state overreach
4. Real estate knowledge — understands property values, zoning, and development
5. Family man image — married 34 years, 6 children, hobby farm — appeals to social conservatives
6. Purdue education — recognized university (Big Ten credibility)
7. Most similar to Van Buren — township trustee, rural, farmer, conservative = competes for same voters

VULNERABILITIES

1. Real Estate Broker Conflict of Interest (HIGH VALUE)

Bogantz is a full-time real estate broker who profits from property transactions. His anti-development, anti-solar, "protect property values" platform directly benefits his business:
- Blocking solar = maintains property values = higher commissions on sales
- Anti-growth stance = restricts housing supply = inflates existing home prices = benefits his portfolio
- 21 closed sales ($7.1M total) in last 5 years — he has direct financial interest in county development policy

Potential messaging: "Bill Bogantz wants to control what gets built in Licking County. He also sells real estate for a living. Whose interests is he protecting — yours or his portfolio?"

2. "Hobby Farm" vs. Real Farm

Bogantz's website describes his property as a "hobby farm with an assortment of farm animals." Compare to Van Buren Acres — a real working farm that's a business, rated on Yelp (4.5 stars, 20 reviews), and has been operating for decades.

Potential messaging: "There's a difference between a hobby farm and a family farm. Mark Van Buren has spent his life working the land, not selling it."

3. Anti-Growth Extremism

Bogantz's quote — "only goal appears to be GROW AT ALL COSTS" — and his opposition to SB 243 position him as anti-development. While this plays well with existing rural residents, it:
- Alienates business-oriented Republicans who want jobs and growth
- Conflicts with the Intel TID project that Van Buren helped lead
- Could be framed as "pulling up the ladder" — he moved to Liberty Township 36 years ago, now wants to stop others

4. Canva Website

A Canva website signals a low-budget, amateur campaign. It lacks SEO, analytics, and professional polish. Voters who search for candidates online will see a significant quality gap compared to a professionally built site.

5. No LCRP Fundraiser Support

Unlike Rath, the LCRP did not organize a fundraiser for Bogantz. This suggests weaker party connections despite being a Republican officeholder.

6. Liberty Township Only

Bogantz's name recognition is limited to Liberty Township and Johnstown. He hasn't served in county-wide or city-wide office. His solar farm advocacy got some press, but primarily in agricultural trade media, not mainstream Licking County outlets.

7. Low Ad Spend

~$500-800 in total ads is still outmatched by Van Buren's professional campaign ($22/day, 12 ads active). Bogantz ramped up through April with 13 total ads now, adding endorsement ads for Houser, Salvage, and an unidentified third figure — signaling a deliberate closing strategy focused on social proof. Still operating at a fraction of Van Buren's scale but the endorsement pattern is a tactical shift worth watching.

COUNTER-MESSAGING FRAMEWORK

If Bogantz attacks on development/growth:

Response: "I support responsible growth. I served on the TID board that helped bring Intel infrastructure to Licking County. We can grow and protect our farmland — it's not either/or. That's what 25 years of township leadership teaches you."

If Bogantz claims farming credibility:

Response: "Van Buren Acres is a real working farm. We've been farming this land for generations, not as a hobby."

If Bogantz claims trustee experience:

Response: "Bill's done good work in Liberty Township. But I have 25 years of township leadership — Harrison Township Trustee, OTA Director, TID VP, Fire District VP. The county needs experience at this level."

If Bogantz claims anti-solar position:

Response: "I added agricultural zoning protections in Harrison Township before Bill made it his campaign issue. I've been protecting farmland through policy, not press conferences."

MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS

1. billbogantz.com — monitor for new content, endorsements, issue pages
2. "Supporters of Bill Bogantz" Facebook — monitor posts and engagement
3. Superior Real Estate Facebook — monitor for campaign/business crossover
4. Meta Ad Library — track ad spend increases, new creative, targeting changes
5. Google Ad Transparency — alert if Bogantz starts Google Ads
6. Anedot donation page — monitor for fundraising events or donation drives
7. Ohio SOS campaign finance — check filings for donor list and spending
8. Farmers Advance / agricultural media — monitor for earned media on solar issues
9. C-TEC Forum — expected mid-April candidate forum

REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS

WAYBACK MACHINE CHECK

• billbogantz.com: Canva-built, no archived versions of significance
• "Supporters of Bill Bogantz" Facebook: Originally created for 2017 trustee race, repurposed

KEY QUOTES (from public record)

Bogantz on proactivity (Reporting Project, Apr 7, 2026):

"I don't sit around and wait for something to happen."

Bogantz on solar farms:

"The residents of Liberty Township enjoy beautiful rural settings with rolling hills, forests and very fertile and productive farmland. Solar farms are unsightly, devour thousands of acres of farmland and decrease property values in the project area."

Bogantz on state zoning (SB 243):

"The state could put an asphalt plant wherever they want."

Liberty Township Trustees (including Bogantz):

"We strongly believe that the residents of the township, the ones who live there, work there, farm there, invest in their homes there, who raise their families there, should have the right to govern how their community develops and grows."

Bogantz on growth critics:

Politicians whose "only goal appears to be GROW AT ALL COSTS"

LinkedIn profile:

Specialties: "Servant Leadership, Problem Solving & Crisis Management, and Communications"

REPORTING PROJECT PROFILE (Apr 7, 2026)

Source: The Reporting Project — candidate profile published April 7, 2026. Public record.

Key Details Confirmed / New

• Age: 65 years old (DOB February 24, 1961 — consistent with prior records)
• Superior Real Estate: Launched 2023 after leaving corporate career (Dec 2022). Conflict of interest angle strengthened — a real estate broker who launched his brokerage 3 years ago now running for commissioner, a position that approves development, zoning, and land use decisions.
• Solar ban: Led Liberty Township's effort to ban utility-scale solar installations. This is his signature issue and primary differentiator.
• Messaging evolution: "God first, family second, community" — refined from earlier "God FAMILY COUNTRY." Now adding affordability angle targeting younger voters priced out of Licking County housing market.
• Quote: "I don't sit around and wait for something to happen." — positions himself as proactive leader vs. status quo.

Strategic Assessment

• Affordability pivot is new and notable. Bogantz is expanding beyond his anti-solar base to court younger voters concerned about housing costs. This is the same demographic Intel/TID growth is pricing out — and Van Buren helped lead TID. If Bogantz frames TID growth as the CAUSE of unaffordability, Van Buren needs a counter: "managed growth that builds housing, not just warehouses."
• Real estate conflict intensified: A broker who launched his business in 2023 — the same year Licking County saw record home price increases — running on "affordability" while personally profiting from high property values. Messaging opportunity: "Bill Bogantz says he wants affordable housing. He also sells homes for a living. Which one makes him money?"
• LCRP did NOT endorse any commissioner candidate (confirmed Mar 2 LCRP website). All 5 listed equally. No party machine advantage for Bogantz.

This report contains only publicly available information from news archives, government databases, social media, and public records. No private investigation was conducted. Bull Moose Strategy LLC does not engage in private investigation (ORC Chapter 4749).