WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both candidates in Ohio’s Senate race—Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno—have in previous races pledged they would not accept campaign donations from political action committees associated with corporations. This cycle both are accepting corporate PAC funds.

Since the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision allowed corporations to spend unlimited money on elections, some congressional candidates have publicly pledged not to accept corporate PAC funds.

Taking such a pledge can increase grassroots support and even donations. Democratic candidates who campaigned on refusing corporate PAC donations did better fundraising-wise than those who didn’t in 2022, according to a study by liberal advocacy group End Citizens United.

Corporate PAC spending accounts for about 40 percent of all PAC giving, according to End Citizens United. In 2018, corporate PACS spent $419 million to influence elections, including $185 million for congressional candidates.

In past Ohio elections, several Senate candidates have taken stances against corporate PAC funds.

When Sen. Sherrod Brown was considering running for the White House in 2019, he pledged that his presidential campaign would reject corporate PAC funds.

The first time businessman Bernie Moreno ran for Senate in 2022, he also pledged not to accept corporate PAC money.

Now running against each other in one of the closest Senate races in the country, both candidates have changed course. Brown accepted nearly $300,000 in corporate PAC donations in the first quarter of this year, while Moreno accepted at least $55,000 in the same time, according to FEC filings.

Sen. JD Vance also pledged not to accept corporate PAC funds in the 2022 primary, only to accept tens of thousands of dollars from corporate PACs in the energy, insurance and real-estate industries later in the year.

Brown’s campaign said the reversal did not change his longtime stance against corporate greed, despite taking donations from PACs affiliated with banks and credit card companies.

Campaign spokesperson Reeves Oyster wrote in a statement, “Sherrod is one of the nation’s strongest voices against corporations that take advantage of Ohioans, which is how he capped the cost of insulin to $35 a month, saved the pensions of 100,000 Ohioans, and is holding CEOs and Wall Street executives accountable for their predatory practices. Sherrod’s record has earned Ohioans’ support and stands in stark contrast to Bernie Moreno, who only looks out for himself.”

End Citizens United said 60 current members of Congress have signed its pledge not to accept corporate PAC funds. Though its site says that fixing democracy requires “getting big money out of politics,” including corporate PAC funds, the group has endorsed Brown for Senate.

“Everyone knows that Senator Brown is one of the fiercest champions of holding corporations accountable and fighting for working people. While Sherrod always fights for Ohioans, Bernie Moreno has made it clear throughout his career that he only looks out for himself and will put workers last,” said End Citizens United communications director Jonas Edwards-Jenks.

Moreno’s campaign, which accepted donations from PACs affiliated with the banking and coal industries, could not be reached for comment in time for publication of this article.