Mailers promoting a socialist candidate in Ohio's US Senate race have links to MAGA super PAC vendor

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Campaign mailers urging Ohio voters to support a socialist U.S. Senate candidate over Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown are being underwritten by a newly incorporated PAC with ties to President Donald Trump's MAGA Inc., public filings show.

The mailers are sponsored by Enough Promises Ohio PAC and began arriving in voters' mailboxes in recent days. They promote independent candidate Greg Levy over Brown with messages such as “Join the Revolution” and “Send a Worker to the Senate." Levy describes himself as “Socialist running for the U.S. Senate to represent Ohio in 2026” on his X account.

Levy condemned the fliers for falsely impersonating his campaign and engaging in “dirty tricks” designed to mislead voters. He said he is considering legal action.

“This is a highly undemocratic practice and does a disservice to voters in Ohio and throughout the country,” he wrote on X.

According to Federal Election Commission filings, Enough Promises Ohio was founded on Sept. 29. It has not yet had to disclose its contributors, but additional federal filings lay out a trail of associations linked to Republicans.

Enough Promises paid the firm Seven Farms more than $397,000 on two dates last week for printing, postage and mail services either supporting Levy or opposing Brown. Seven Farms, also a new entity, lists as its address the same South Carolina business suite as the one used by Whistlestop Strategies LLC.

Whistlestop is a direct mail outfit operated by Big Dog Strategies LLC, the strategy firm that advises Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC and that managed Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno's successful campaign against Brown in 2024.

Messages seeking comment were left with Enough Promises Ohio and Big Dog.

MAGA Inc. and affiliated groups began pouring huge sums of cash into midterm races in September, after party officials had been urging Trump to begin spending some of the fortune he had amassed to help embattled Republicans before it was too late.

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, right, shakes the hand of President Donald Trump after speaking during an event at Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State women's basketball coach Bill Fennelly announced Monday he will retire at the end of the coming season, his 32nd with the Cyclones.

Fennelly is 656-335 with 24 NCAA Tournament appearances and 26 postseason appearances at Iowa State.

“It has been the greatest honor of my professional life to coach at Iowa State for the past 32 years,” Fennelly said. “I have been truly blessed to have had the opportunity to coach so many amazing players while working with loyal and dedicated staff members. We have built one of the most respected programs in the nation on and off the court."

The 69-year-old Fennelly grew up in Davenport and began his women's basketball coaching career as an undergraduate assistant at William Penn College in Oskaloosa. He was 166-53 with three NCAA Tournament appearances in seven seasons at Toledo before leaving for Iowa State in 1995. The Cyclones were coming off six straight losing seasons and Fennelly made them competitive immediately.

The Cyclones reached the Elite Eight in 1999 and 2009 and finished in the top half of the Big 12 standings 24 of 30 seasons. They won the Big 12 regular-season championship in 2000 and the conference tournament in 2000, 2001 and 2023.

With 822 overall victories, Fennelly ranks 15th all-time among Division I women’s basketball coaches.

“While I still love coaching and am working as hard as ever, I understand that this job has an expiration date," he said. “After talking with my family, I have made the decision that the 2026-27 season will be my last. Announcing my intention now is what is best for everyone in our program and provides the new athletics director clarity on my future and allows them to make plans for the program moving forward.”

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FILE - Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly watches from the bench during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor, Jan. 13, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)