Campaign Status

• Campaign C LIVE. 7 counter-endorsement ads launched Apr 12. All approved and serving. $22/day budget.
• Meta campaigns A & B: 14 ads active, $22/day combined. Total spend to date: $81.35.
• Total active ads across all 3 campaigns: 21 ads.
• Google Ads: Election verification resubmitted Apr 13. Previous submission was FULLY_LIMITED after 7+ days. New submission uses EIN path (FEC → State → EIN fallback). Up to 5 business days for review.
• YouTube campaign: Built, pending same verification.

Key Metrics (Last 7 Days)

• GA4: 173 sessions, 145 users, 267 pageviews, 1m 30s avg engagement
• FB Page: 732 followers, 718 talking about, 20 posts (28d), 106 shares
• Google Search Console: 13 clicks

Competitive Intel

• Bogantz: 13 total Meta ads. 2 new “Vote Bogantz” ads launched Apr 11. Est. $500–800 total spend, 70K–80K impressions. Endorsement format continues (Houser, Salvage). Affordability messaging targeting younger voters.
• LCRP did NOT endorse in the commissioner race. All 5 GOP candidates listed equally.
• Rath: Still zero paid ads, no website, no digital presence. LCRP fundraiser support only.

Google Verification — Lesson Learned

• IMPORTANT Google election verification is a TWO-step process, each up to 5 business days.
• APPROVED_LIMITED does NOT mean ads are serving — must verify actual impressions > 0.
• Verification resubmitted using EIN path. Troubleshooter: Google Ad Policy Troubleshooter.

Action Items

• WATCH Google verification — expect resolution by Apr 20 (5 biz days from Apr 13)
• ACTION Monitor Campaign C performance — first 48 hours critical for optimization
• WATCH Bogantz ad rotation — new creatives appearing every 1–2 days

Campaign Status

• Meta campaigns A & B: 14 ads active, running smoothly since Apr 9.
• Campaign C: 7 ads launched today. Counter-endorsement creative approved by Mark and Catherine. All ads submitted to Meta for review.
• Google Ads: Still FULLY_LIMITED after 8 days. Escalation planned for Apr 13 with verification resubmission.

Competitive Intel

• Bogantz: 13 total ads. Apr 11 saw 2 new “Vote Bogantz — A True Conservative” ads. Continuing endorsement rotation strategy.
• Rath: No change. Zero digital ad presence.

Action Items

• URGENT Resubmit Google verification Apr 13 using EIN fallback path
• WATCH Campaign C ad review — expect Meta approval within 24 hours

Campaign Status

• Meta campaigns A & B: 12 ads live, active. $22/day combined.
• Campaign C: 8 cards submitted for Mark + Catherine approval — review here.
• Google Ads: Election verification in day 7 (FULLY_LIMITED). Escalate April 13 if still blocked.
• Website: citizensforvanburen.com live. Landing page /licking-county-commissioner-2026 indexed.

Competitive Intel — New

• Bogantz now at 13 total Meta ads. New endorsement ads running for Houser, Salvage, and an unidentified third endorser (Ad ID 1710597353440177, created Apr 10, image-only format). Visual ID of the third endorser needed — if it's a named Licking County figure, counter-response plan needed within 48 hours.
• Stacie Baker (D) — Ohio Senate District 3: Columbus Dispatch profiled her Apr 8. She is a West Licking Joint Fire District Board member — same board where Mark is VP. Network overlap. Mark should stay neutral publicly and be prepared if a reporter asks about the board connection.
• Alexandria income tax (0.5% → 1.5%) on May 5 ballot. Tax-driven turnout in Alexandria peaks Election Day — drives additional voters to the polls in that zone on May 5.

Action Items

• URGENT Approve Campaign C cards — Ad Approval page
• WATCH Alexandria turnout — income tax issue on ballot drives Election Day turnout in that zone
• ACTION Visually ID the Apr 10 Bogantz endorsement ad — view in Meta Ad Library
• WATCH Google election verification escalation — flag April 13 if still FULLY_LIMITED

Campaign Status

• Meta campaigns A & B: Day 2. 14 ads running. Early performance data coming in — Campaign A showing $3.09 CPM, 0.53% CTR.
• Website rewrite deployed to prod. citizensforvanburen.com fully live with new design.
• SEO landing page /licking-county-commissioner-2026 deployed and indexed by Google.
• Donation link (PayPal) restored — had been broken since Apr 7 rewrite.
• Contact form CORS fix deployed — Worker now accepts custom domain.

Competitive Intel

• Bogantz: New video ad launched Apr 10. Total now at 11+ ads. Continuing to cycle short-interval creatives.
• Rath: No change. Zero paid advertising.

Client Portal Updates

• Portal refactored with shared portal-header.js and portal-nav.js components.
• Nested nav dropdown for Ad Approvals (Campaign C + A&B).
• Archive pattern implemented for superseded documents.

Action Items

• WATCH Campaign A vs B performance — compare after 48 hours of delivery
• PENDING Campaign C creative — 8 counter-endorsement cards for Mark + Catherine approval
• WATCH Google verification — day 6, escalate Apr 13 if still FULLY_LIMITED

Campaign Update

• Facebook ads are LIVE. 12 ads running across 2 campaigns — Campaign A (radius targeting, $11/day) and Campaign B (zip code targeting, $11/day).
• Meta political ad disclaimer "Paid for by Citizens for Van Buren" — approved.
• A/B testing two targeting strategies to optimize reach per dollar.
• Early results: Campaign A reached 946 people with $3.63 spent in first hours.

Competitive Intel

• Bogantz has ramped up to 10 total ads (3 currently active), estimated $500-800 total spend, ~70K-80K impressions since March 8.
• Rath: zero paid advertising activity.
• Smith, Snedden: no digital presence.

Press

• The Reporting Project (Denison University) published candidate profile on Mark — read article.

This Week

• April 23 — Campaign finance filing deadline
• April 25 — C-TEC Auditorium forum, 7pm (Newark Advocate / WNKO / LWV)

New Tools

• Ad Performance Dashboard — live metrics, auto-updates every 4 hours
• Competitor Ad Tracker — Meta Ad Library data for all candidates

🚨 Critical: 9 AM Screen Share Today

Google Ads payment setup + election verification application with Mark via Google Meet. This is the gate to launching search ads. Mark enters his own card — Kelly guides through the UI.

Election Countdown

Election Day	May 5, 2026 (31 days)
Early Voting Opens	April 7, 2026 (3 days)
Pre-Primary Filing	April 23, 2026 (19 days)
Ad Status	LIVE — 12 ads running across 2 campaigns
Ads Ready	12 ads live across 2 campaigns (6 per campaign)

Action Items — Today

• 9 AM: Screen share with Mark — Google Ads payment + election verification
• Mark: Meta identity confirmation — facebook.com/id (5 min, driver's license). STILL PENDING.
• Review 11 ads — Ad Approval Page (6 FB/IG + 3 Google + 2 YouTube)
• Mark: Issues write-up — 6 topics, 2-3 sentences each
• Mark: Respond to Carlisle/Etna intel email

📊 NEW: Voter File Analysis (Ohio SOS Data) MAJOR

We downloaded and analyzed the complete Licking County voter file — 124,720 registered voters, 107,063 active. Here are the findings that drive our ad targeting:

Metric	Count	% of Active	Implication
Active Voters	107,063	100%	Universe
Registered Republican	28,658	26.8%	Primary target
Registered Democrat	8,039	7.5%	Not our target
Unaffiliated	70,366	65.7%	The battlefield
— Pulled R ballot before	13,005	18.5% of unaffiliated	R-leaning, targetable
— Pulled D ballot before	10,773	15.3% of unaffiliated	Unlikely R primary
— Pulled both R and D	4,606	6.5% of unaffiliated	True swing
— Never voted in primary	41,982	59.7% of unaffiliated	Untapped reservoir
Total R-Accessible Pool	46,269	43.2%	Our full universe

Age of R Primary Voters (2024)

Republican primary voters skew heavily older. Over 73% are 55+. Our ads should reflect this demographic.

Age	Voters	%
18-34	1,335	6.4%
35-54	4,323	20.6%
55-64	4,723	22.6%
65-74	5,837	27.9%
75+	4,721	22.5%

Strongest R Townships (2024 Primary R%)

Township	R%	R Votes	Total Primary	Notes
Liberty Twp	88%	470	535	Bogantz territory
Franklin Twp	88%	461	525	Strong R
Fallsbury Twp	87%	152	175	Rural stronghold
Mary Ann Twp	87%	290	333	Rural
Harrison Twp	84%	1,243	1,484	Mark's base
Monroe Twp	84%	1,045	1,237	High volume
Licking Twp	83%	846	1,016	Strong R
Etna Twp	65%	1,441	2,221	Largest volume, more competitive
Granville Twp	61%	1,147	1,879	University town, most competitive

🗺 NEW: Interactive Voter Heatmap LIVE

View the heatmap → Interactive map of Licking County with drill-down by township and ZIP code. Filter by: R primary %, registered Rs, unaffiliated voters, R-leaning independents, age 55+, and never-primaried voters. Click any area for detailed breakdown.

📊 Polling Insights — What R Voters Care About

Issue	Source	Data
Waste/fraud/abuse	AMAC (2,283 R voters)	53% say #1 priority
Economy/finances	AP-NORC (1,146 adults)	43% top concern
Taxes	AP-NORC	19% R vs 10% D (2x gap)
Crime	AP-NORC	22% R vs 5% D (4x gap)
Property tax reform	Ohio Farm Bureau	Core 2026 priority
Farmland lost to development	Ohio Farm Bureau	270K acres in 20 years

Takeaway: Lead with fiscal discipline and waste elimination. Mark's tax millage cut, MBA in Finance, and 25-year public service record are exactly what 53% of R voters say matters most. New Ad 6 ("Every Dollar Accounted For") targets this directly.

Competitive Intel

Candidate	Followers	Ads	Activity
Van Buren	696	$0 (11 ready)	38.5K organic views. Bio+email updated.
Rath	485	$0	Council tour (Granville, Etna, Heath). LCRP insider.
Bogantz	489	~$300	18.9K video views. Blocking residents. Fortune 500 IT background.
Smith/Snedden	0	$0	No activity

Alerts & Flags

• PENDING Awaiting Mark's response on Carlisle connection (email sent)
• PENDING Mark's Meta identity verification — every day of delay = fewer days of ads before May 5
• NEW Ohio Farm Bureau screening candidates for "Friends of Agriculture" — Mark should apply
• NEW Bogantz blocking Liberty Twp residents on Facebook per Todd Mckee comment
• INTEL Ohio semi-open primaries: any voter can pull R ballot. 41,982 unaffiliated have never voted in a primary.

Next 72 Hours

• Today (Apr 4): 9 AM Google Ads screen share. Meta verification. Ad approvals.
• Tomorrow (Apr 5): Easter Sunday
• Monday (Apr 7): EARLY VOTING OPENS

Election Countdown

Election Day	May 5, 2026 (31 days)
Early Voting Opens	April 7, 2026 (3 days)
Pre-Primary Filing Deadline	April 23, 2026 (19 days)
Ad Status	LIVE — 12 ads running across 2 campaigns

Action Items — Today

• 9 AM: Screen share with Mark — Google Ads payment setup + election verification application
• Mark: Complete Meta identity confirmation — facebook.com/id (5 minutes, driver's license)
• Review & approve ads — 11 ads ready for approval (5 FB, 3 Google, 2 YouTube, 1 new waste/accountability)
• Mark: Send issues write-up (6 topics, 2-3 sentences each)

What Was Completed Yesterday (April 3)

• Google Analytics + Meta Pixel installed on citizensforvanburen.com LIVE
• SEO updated (Home + About page titles/descriptions)
• Opposition research completed on all 5 candidates (deep dive: website crawl, LinkedIn, FB feeds)
• Race intelligence report updated — Rick Black confirmed not running (open seat)
• Campaign dashboard built with Facebook metrics baseline
• Secure client portal deployed with 19 documents
• 17 Google Alerts activated (candidates, race, opponents' digital presence)
• 11 ad mockups created (5 FB/IG, 3 Google Search, 2 YouTube video, 1 polling-based)
• Facebook page bio updated + email changed (prodigy.net → att.net) per Catherine
• Ad approval page live with checkbox workflow
• Etna Oversight / Carlisle / 2008 research completed and reported to Mark

Competitive Intel Update

Candidate	Followers	Ad Spend	Activity
Mark Van Buren	696	$0 (launching soon)	38.5K organic views, 4.2K on announcement video
Jeff Rath	485	$0	Attending council meetings across county (Granville, Etna, Heath). Expanding into Hebron.
Bill Bogantz	489	~$300	18.9K organic video views. Former Fortune 500 IT exec. 10-section website. "God FAMILY COUNTRY" messaging.
Gregory Smith	0	$0	No activity detected.
James Snedden Jr	0	$0	No activity detected.

Voter Research — Polling Insights NEW

Finding	Source	Data Point	Mark's Message
Waste/fraud/abuse is #1 R priority	AMAC Poll (2,283 R voters)	53% say it's top AG priority	25yr budget mgmt, tax millage cut
Economy/personal finances	AP-NORC (1,146 adults)	43% top concern (up from 31%)	MBA Finance, fiscal discipline
Taxes 2x priority for Rs	AP-NORC	19% R vs 10% D	Property tax reduction record
Property tax reform	Ohio Farm Bureau 2026	Core priority	CAUV, tax millage, farmland preservation
Ohio losing farmland	Ohio Farm Bureau	270K acres lost in 20yr (48% to development)	Ag zoning protections, Van Buren Acres
Crime 4x priority for Rs	AP-NORC	22% R vs 5% D	Fire District VP, public safety

Alerts & Flags

• FLAG Etna Oversight post criticizing all candidates for "pancakes over policy" — email sent to Mark with context on Carlisle connection and Mark Evans controversy
• FLAG Bogantz blocking Liberty Township residents on Facebook (per Todd Mckee comment on Mark's page) — contradicts his transparency platform
• INFO Ohio Farm Bureau screening candidates for "Friends of Agriculture" designation in 2026 — Mark should apply
• INFO Ohio property tax elimination ballot initiative collecting signatures (due Jul 2026) — may drive conservative voter turnout discussions
• INFO Catherine confirmed: phone stays, email updated, bio updated with full credentials

Next 72 Hours

• Today (Apr 4): Google Ads payment + election verification (9 AM call). Mark completes Meta identity. Ad approvals.
• Tomorrow (Apr 5): Easter Sunday — no campaign activity
• Monday (Apr 6): Issues write-up due. Photos/headshot follow-up. Early voting prep.
• Monday (Apr 7): EARLY VOTING OPENS — ads must be live or we're losing voters