Robert Sprague

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Robert Sprague
Sprague in 2014
49th Treasurer of Ohio
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 14, 2019
GovernorMike DeWine
Preceded byJosh Mandel
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the 83rd district
In office
February 1, 2011 – December 31, 2018
Preceded byCliff Hite
Succeeded byJon Cross
Personal details
BornRobert Cole Sprague
(1973-04-18) April 18, 1973
Findlay, Ohio, U.S.
PartyRepublican
SpouseAmanda Sprague
Children5
EducationDuke University (BS)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (MBA)

Robert Cole Sprague (born April 18, 1973) is an American politician serving as the 49th Ohio treasurer of state since 2019. Prior to his election as treasurer, he represented the 83rd district in the Ohio House of Representatives, and served as city auditor and treasurer in his hometown of Findlay. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and career

Sprague was raised in Findlay, Ohio, and graduated from Findlay High School.[1] He earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[2]

Sprague began his career as a project lead at Ernst & Young in Atlanta, Georgia, and later founded a consulting firm advising businesses internationally. He subsequently returned to Findlay, where he served as city treasurer and auditor. In that role, he introduced annual financial reporting and worked on municipal debt and financial management.

Ohio House of Representatives

In 2011, Representative Cliff Hite was appointed to the Ohio Senate, creating a vacancy in the 83rd House District. Sprague was appointed to fill the seat and was subsequently elected to full terms in 2012, 2014, and 2016.

During his tenure in the Ohio House of Representatives, Sprague served on the House Finance and Financial Institutions Committees. He was also involved in legislative efforts addressing prescription drug abuse and related policy issues.

Addressing drug addiction

As a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Sprague served on the House Criminal Justice Committee. In a 2013 interview, he commented on challenges within the state’s criminal justice system related to drug offenses, stating that individuals with substance use disorders were “cycling through the courts, the jails, the prison system, and the mental health system,” and that the state had not yet developed effective long-term solutions.[3]

During the 130th General Assembly, Sprague chaired a House committee that traveled throughout Ohio to gather information on the opioid addiction crisis.[4]

Sprague sponsored and supported legislation addressing substance use and criminal justice policy, including measures related to drug education, prescribing practices, naloxone access, and specialized court programs for individuals with substance use disorders.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Developmental disabilities

In the 131st General Assembly, Sprague served as chairman of the House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. The biennial operating budget, H.B. 64, included provisions related to developmental disabilities policy.[12]

Additional developmental disabilities-related provisions were included in H.B. 483, including changes to county board levy processes, establishment of Disability History and Awareness Month, and provisions related to STABLE accounts.[13]

Sprague also co-sponsored H.B. 158, legislation that removed references to “mental retardation” from the Ohio Revised Code.[14]

Ohio treasurer

On March 7, 2017, Sprague announced his candidacy for Ohio treasurer.

During the campaign, he received endorsements from several Ohio newspaper editorial boards.[15][16][17]

On November 6, 2018, Sprague was elected Ohio Treasurer of State, defeating Democratic nominee Rob Richardson 53% to 47%.[18] He took office on January 11, 2019.[19]

As treasurer, Sprague launched ResultsOHIO, a program focused on pay-for-success initiatives addressing social and public health challenges.[20]

Campaign finance and industry contributions

During his 2018 campaign for Ohio Treasurer, Robert Sprague received contributions from a range of corporate political action committees (PACs), including those representing the energy, financial, and legal sectors.[21]

Energy-sector PACs contributing to Sprague's campaign included NiSource Inc. PAC ($2,500), Duke Energy Corporation PAC ($1,000), American Electric Power Committee for Responsible Government ($2,500), One Energy Ohio PAC ($1,000), Marathon Petroleum Corporation Employees PAC ($7,000 total), and Murray Energy Corporation PAC ($5,000).[21]

Sprague also received contributions from financial-sector PACs, including Huntington Bancshares Inc. PAC ($23,700 total), Fifth Third Bancorp Political Action Committee ($19,500 total), PNC Financial Services Group PAC ($5,000), and KeyCorp Advocates Fund ($5,000).[21]

Additional contributions came from law firms and lobbying-related PACs, including Bricker Graydon LLP State Political Action Committee ($24,000 total), Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease Advocates for Effective Government ($5,000 total), Taft Stettinius & Hollister Better Government Fund ($5,400 total), Dinsmore & Shohl LLP PAC ($1,000), and Ice Miller PAC ($5,500 total).[21]

Following the enactment of House Bill 6 (HB 6) in 2019, multiple lawsuits challenged the law’s constitutionality and the collection and distribution of associated charges. As Ohio Treasurer of State, Robert Sprague was named as a defendant in his official capacity due to the office’s statutory role in holding and administering certain funds established under the law.[22][23]

Campaign finance filings from the Ohio Secretary of State show that Robert Sprague received contributions from energy and utility-affiliated political action committees during the period surrounding the passage of House Bill 6 (HB6), later central to the Ohio nuclear bribery scandal. These included a $500 contribution from Duke Energy PAC in 2017, along with contributions from other regulated industry and infrastructure-related PACs active in Ohio’s legislative environment.[24][25]

Cryptocurrency

In 2018, the Ohio Treasurer's office launched OhioCrypto.com, a platform that allowed businesses to pay certain state taxes using cryptocurrency. In 2019, the State Board of Deposit requested an opinion from the Ohio Attorney General regarding the program. The attorney general concluded that the platform constituted a "financial transaction device" and required approval by the Board of Deposit before it could be used to collect state funds. The opinion also noted that the OhioCrypto.com program had been suspended pending issuance of the opinion.[26]

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG)

As Ohio treasurer, Sprague said he would not make investment decisions based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, describing that position as consistent with the office's fiduciary responsibilities.[27]

In March 2022, Sprague joined a multistate comment letter opposing possible Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board ESG disclosure requirements for municipal issuers.[28]

In May 2023, Sprague was among 21 state financial officers who signed letters and questionnaires sent to major asset management firms and proxy advisory firms seeking information about their use of ESG considerations in investment and voting practices.[29]

Sprague was also listed among supporters of the federal Ensuring Sound Guidance Act, a 2023 bill concerning ESG-related investment practices and municipal securities disclosures.[30]

Tax withholding litigation

In 2021, Community Legal Aid filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court against Ohio Tax Commissioner Jeff McClain and Treasurer Robert Sprague, alleging that the state failed to properly attribute employer-withheld income taxes to individual taxpayers, potentially resulting in double taxation in some cases.[31][32][33][34]

In 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit.[35]

2026 Ohio secretary of state campaign

On January 18, 2025, Sprague announced that he would run for governor of Ohio in the 2026 election, seeking to succeed term-limited governor Mike DeWine.[36] However, Sprague withdrew from the race on February 5, 2025, running instead for Ohio secretary of state and endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy in the gubernatorial election.[37]

Personal life

Sprague currently resides in Findlay, where he lives with his wife, Amanda, and their five children.

References

  1. "Treasurer's Biography". Office of the Ohio Treasurer of State. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  2. "Office of the Ohio Treasurer". www.tos.ohio.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  3. "Hannah News Story". www.hannah.com/. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
  4. "Treasurer's race pits state lawmaker against former county auditor". www.toledoblade.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
  5. "130th General Assembly, Substitute House Bill Number 367" (PDF). FTP server (FTP). (To view documents see Help:FTP)
  6. "Laws, Acts, and Legislation". archives.legislature.state.oh.us/. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  7. "Laws, Acts, and Legislation". archives.legislature.state.oh.us/. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  8. "The Ohio Legislature HB4". archives.legislature.state.oh.us/. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  9. "Ohio Legislative Service Commission Sub. H.B. 110".
  10. "Laws, Acts, and Legislation". archives.legislature.state.oh.us/. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  11. "Ohio Legislative Service Commission Am. Sub. H.B. 59" (PDF).
  12. "The Ohio Legislature HB64". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  13. "The Ohio Legislature HB483". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  14. "The Ohio Legislature HB158". Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  15. "Editorial: For state treasurer: Robert Sprague offers better experience". www.dispatch.com/. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  16. "Robert Sprague for Ohio treasurer: endorsement editorial". www.cleveland.com. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  17. "Beacon Journal/Ohio.com editorial board: Robert Sprague for state treasurer". www.beaconjournal.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  18. "2018 OFFICIAL ELECTIONS RESULTS". www.sos.state.oh.us. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  19. "State's Treasurer-Elect Announces Swearing-In Ceremony". www.usnews.com. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  20. "Treasurer Robert Sprague". www.tos.ohio.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  21. "Campaign finance filings for Robert Sprague (2018)". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved April 14, 2026. Search candidate "Sprague for Ohio" in the campaign finance database and review 2018 Form 31-B (Statement of Expenditures) filings.
  22. "Amicus Brief of the Ohio Environmental Council" (PDF). Ohio Environmental Council. December 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  23. "Complaint Seeking Preliminary Injunction Regarding House Bill 6". Ohio Attorney General. 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  24. "Ohio Campaign Finance Filings: Sprague for Ohio". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  25. "House Bill 6 was Ohio's biggest public corruption scandal. So why haven't the laws changed?". Cleveland.com. May 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  26. "2019 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 2019-033" (PDF). Ohio Attorney General via Gongwer. November 5, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  27. Kasler, Karen (October 19, 2022). "Ohio Election 2022: Robert Sprague and Scott Schertzer run for Ohio Treasurer". The Statehouse News Bureau. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  28. "March 8, 2022 Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Request for Information on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practices in the Municipal Securities Market (2021-17)" (PDF). Utah State Treasurer. March 8, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  29. "States send letters and questionnaires inquiring about ESG at firms (2023)". Ballotpedia. May 23, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  30. Devitt, Caitlin (June 26, 2023). "House ESG bill takes aim at Rule G-38, SEC disclosure, underfunded pensions". The Bond Buyer. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  31. "Lawsuit claims widespread double taxation against Ohioans". News 5 Cleveland. August 5, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  32. "Legal Aid sues Ohio tax commissioner, treasurer over alleged double taxation". Akron Beacon Journal. August 5, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  33. "Legal Aid sues Ohio officials over alleged tax issues". Mahoning Matters. August 5, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  34. "Ohio taxpayers allege double taxation resulted from state's failure to correctly attribute withheld taxes". EY Tax News. 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  35. "Ohio Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit claiming the state illegally double taxes some residents". Cleveland.com. October 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  36. "Ohio Treasurer files paperwork for gubernatorial run". WTVG. January 17, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  37. Balmert, Jessie; BeMiller, Haley (February 5, 2025). "Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague to run for secretary of state, backs Ramaswamy for governor". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 5, 2025.