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It’s been quite the week for Frank LaRose who is now officially Ohio’s biggest loser after Ohioans resoundingly rejected his amendment which would have benefitted special interests and silenced Ohioans. But LaRose’s defeat did not stop him from admitting he would support a national abortion ban if elected – and would ignore, and even overturn, the will of Ohioans who will vote to protect abortion rights this November. 
 
Plus, as the finger pointing starts over who is to blame for State Issue 1 “going down in flames,” the #OHSEN slugfest is just getting nastier. Here’s what you missed this week in what has already been called one of the “messiest, “most expensive” and “bruising” primary battles in the country. 
 

FRANK LAROSE: OHIO’S BIGGEST LOSER
 
It’s been a wild ride for Frank LaRose – who tied himself to State Issue 1, made mistake after mistake in the process, and has been criticized by Republicans every step of the way. Watch the recap:
 

A SAMPLE OF WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING AND WATCHING ON FRANK LAROSE THIS WEEK
 
Ohio Capital Journal: “Frank LaRose’s very bad day. Sec. of State dodged press, issued angry statement as Issue 1 failed”
 
WVXU: “LaRose, the most enthusiastic supporter of Issue 1 among Ohio Republican elected officials, made the job of hiding the abortion rights connection that much harder when he was caught on video at a Seneca County Republican Party event saying that Issue 1 was ‘100%’ about keeping abortion rights groups’ hands off the Ohio constitution.”
 
WSYX: “Earlier in the day, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose was set to vote and hold media availability but suddenly canceled.”
 
Washington Post: “At the top of the list of the biggest losers Tuesday was Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who made himself the face of the initiative and is now running for Senate to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown (D). LaRose appeared to want to burnish his conservative bona fides — and perhaps GOP voters will give him credit for trying — but a primary opponent has already been attacking him for alleged strategic failures.”
 
The Messenger: “The biggest loser in the fight over this issue is Secretary of State Frank LaRose… ‘The implosion of Issue 1 could be extremely detrimental to LaRose’s fundraising,’ said a Republican strategist working in Senate races. ‘He made himself the face of this issue and then it went down in brutal fashion.’”
 
Huffington Post: “Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, an outspoken anti-choice leader, was one of several Republicans who attempted to hide the real intent of Issue 1. He told the Washington Examiner last month that Issue 1 has ‘never been exclusively about abortion.’ But as feminist writer Jessica Valenti pointed out, LaRose said earlier in the summer that Issue 1 ‘is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution.’”
 
WBNS: “Last night’s rejection of Issue 1 not only was a blow to the Republican-controlled Statehouse, it was also a blow to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose who campaigned heavily in favor of Issue 1.” 

MSNBC: Frank LaRose “has been leading the charge” for State Issue 1, “his office will get blamed” for any problems, LaRose “tied inextricably” to issue, “a loss for his Senate campaign right out of the gate.”

Cleveland.com: “Will the Issue 1 debacle be the number 1 issue keeping Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose from being handed a victory rose in the Republican Senate Primary? It cost the State $20 million, how much will it cost LaRose?”

Cleveland.com: Chris Quinn: “I was interested in all the information about Frank LaRose because  I actually believe that guy is toast. I mean, he tied himself to one of the biggest failures ever. He did make mistake after mistake. He did shoot his mouth off, and anybody running against him will use that against him…. He just made kind of a buffoon out of himself and nobody wants to elect a buffoon. So this, I do think he’s going to suffer mightily as a result of this.”
 
Akron Beacon Journal: “Self-serving LaRose lied and worse…LaRose… clearly believes his personal future is more important than his elected role.”
 
LOSER LAROSE DOUBLES DOWN ON NATIONAL ABORTION BAN
 
Loser LaRose also admitted this week that, if elected to the Senate, he would ignore and even overturn the will of Ohioans who support protecting abortion access by supporting a national abortion ban.
 
WATCH HERE

FINGER POINTING THROWS MORE GASOLINE ON #OHSEN PRIMARY FIRE
 
In the wake of Issue 1’s defeat, the #OHSEN slugfest is just getting nastier as finger pointing moves front and center. Reminder: Bernie Moreno and Matt Dolan also supported State Issue 1, and LaRose made himself the face of the effort and is now paying the price.
 

ODP releases new video highlighting LaRose’s close ties to State Issue 1

The Ohio Democratic Party today launched a new video showcasing Frank LaRose’s close ties to State Issue 1. Ohioans resoundingly rejected Frank LaRose’s amendment this week and LaRose continues to be slammed for making “mistake after mistake” in the process of making himself the face of State Issue 1, being “self-serving,” and looking like a “buffoon.” 

One thing is clear in the aftermath of Tuesday’s results: LaRose is State Issue 1’s biggest loser and suffocated his Senate campaign before it even started.

WATCH FRANK LAROSE: STATE ISSUE 1’S BIGGEST LOSER HERE
 

More on Frank LaRose being State Issue 1’s biggest loser:
 
Cleveland.com: LaRose, Issue 1 loss: Darcy cartoon
 

• Will the Issue 1 debacle be the number 1 issue keeping Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose from being handed a victory rose in the Republican Senate Primary? It cost the State $20 million, how much will it cost LaRose?
• LaRose stated, “I’ve said for months now that there’s an assault coming on our Constitution”
• Yes, and voters viewed that assault being led by LaRose. 

Cleveland.com: Chief political writer Andrew Tobias’ takeaways on the Issue 1 smackdown and Frank LaRose’s future: Today in Ohio
August 10, 2023

• [00:03:26] Chris Quinn: I, I was interested in all the information about Frank LaRose because I, I actually believe that guy is toast. I mean, he tied himself to one of the biggest failures ever. He did make mistake after mistake. He did shoot his mouth off, and anybody running against him will use that against him…. He just made kind of a buffoon out of himself and nobody wants to elect a buffoon. So this, I do think he’s going to suffer mightily as a result of this.

Cleveland.com: Frank LaRose’s big bet and Democrats’ under-the-radar wins: 4 takeaways from the defeat of Ohio State Issue 1
Andrew Tobias
August 9, 2023

• LaRose, who was the first to publicly float the idea that developed into Issue 1, became a prominent face of the “yes” campaign, earning him his own dedicated attack ad for his trouble.
• Democrats also have telegraphed they may try to paint LaRose as an incompetent elections administrator, saying he was too distracted trying to campaign for Issue 1. His office made several pre-election errors, including sending county boards of election the wrong Issue 1 ballot language and sending an email to prospective poll-workers containing the wrong election date. The election itself cost taxpayers $20 million, leading bipartisan county elections officials to oppose it.
• And, Democrats are pleased that LaRose during an interview with a Cincinnati radio station last month described Issue 1′s Republican opponents as “not true conservatives.” Given that Issue 1 underperformed ex-President Donald Trump’s 2020 margins by double digits in 50 Ohio counties, it’s clear a significant number of Ohio Republicans voted against the measure.

Akron Beacon Journal: Misguided LaRose loses as Ohioans protect their rights to keep Statehouse accountable
Editorial Board
August 10, 2023

• Self-serving LaRose lied and worse
• LaRose… clearly believes his personal future is more important than his elected role.
• He’s been caught lying to the public about Issue 1 (it’s not about abortion, he first claimed), wasted $20 million on an August vote after persuading lawmakers to ban summer elections and sought attention at every turn.
• Amid the Issue 1 campaign, he announced a Senate bid, and, in a flip-flop, endorsed Donald Trump — who has been federally indicted for plotting a coup and continues to falsely question 2020 election results.

Sabato Crystal Ball: Ohio’s Issue 1 Smackdown
Kyle Kondik and J. Miles Coleman
August 9, 2023

• Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who recently joined what should be an intense U.S. Senate primary that also features businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan (who both ran in 2022), was the public face of the “yes” on Issue 1 campaign. One wonders whether its failure will negatively impact LaRose, who despite warming up to Trump recently may find himself outflanked by Moreno in that department (Dolan is the least-Trumpy of the trio).

Columbus, OH – Today, Ohio Democratic Party Veterans and Military Community Caucus Chair Connie Pillich released the following statement to mark the one-year anniversary of passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act.

“Thanks to the leadership of Ohio Democrats like Sherrod Brown, Marcy Kaptur, Joyce Beatty and Shontel Brown, Ohio veterans who suffer from toxic exposure now have access to the critical healthcare and benefits they deserve. Ohio servicemembers put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe, and we must make sure they’re taken care of when they return home. The PACT Act is an important reminder of the debt we owe our men and women in uniform, and I’m proud that Ohio Democrats led the charge to get this bill passed,” said Pillich. 

The PACT Act provides benefits and healthcare to veterans who suffer from toxic exposure due to exposure to burn pits or other toxic substances. Ohioans can visit www.va.gov/pact to find out more and claim benefits. 

Thanks to the work of Senator Sherrod Brown, the PACT Act is named in honor of Ohio veteran Heath Robinson, who passed away from lung cancer after being exposed to toxic burn pits. 

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The day after Issue 1’s defeat, LaRose promises to vote for national abortion ban if elected to Senate – regardless of what Ohioans want

Columbus, OH – Frank LaRose is doubling down the day after being named the biggest loser of State Issue 1, pledging to support a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest if elected to the Senate.
 
LaRose also admits that, if elected to the Senate, he would ignore and even overturn the will of Ohioans who support protecting abortion access. 
 
LaRose’s admission follows Ohio voters resoundingly rejecting his amendment this week that would have benefitted special interests and silenced Ohioans. Ohioans will also vote on a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights this November, with recent polls showing 58% of Ohioans support protecting reproductive rights. Regardless of the results in November, LaRose plans to pursue a national ban. 

WATCH HERE

Chuck Todd: “You’re running for the U.S. Senate, you’re going to be asked this question about federal standards on access to abortion. Do you think there should be a federal minimum put into place or not?”
 
Frank LaRose: “You know, I think that the Supreme Court decision pushing this down to the states is a reasonable approach for now. But as I told you, I’m pro-life and if a pro-life measure comes before the Senate, then I would vote as a pro-life American.”
 
Todd: “What does that mean? Look, a lot of people say they’re pro-life, but they’re for 15 weeks. Some people say pro-life they’re for eight weeks, the heartbeat bill, things like that. Can you give me some specifics? What’s your definition of pro-life?”
 
LaRose: “Yeah, as you know, any legislative body, it’s got to be a product of people working together to find where they can reach a majority on that. And then the Senate sometimes that’s a 60% majority back to super majorities, by the way. But you know, I’ve voted for the heartbeat bill in Ohio, for example, which I think is a, is a good standard. I personally believe that life begins at conception. But I understand that, you know, there’s perhaps room to negotiate on that. Pain capable is one standard that some people have looked at, we have a bill like that in Ohio.”

The Messenger: “The biggest loser in the fight over this issue is Secretary of State Frank LaRose”

Ohioans rejected Frank LaRose’s amendment yesterday and LaRose’s close ties to State Issue 1 continue to backfire on him, suffocating his Senate campaign before it even started. 
 
Here’s what Ohioans are reading and watching about Frank LaRose’s “significant loss:”
 
WVXU: Commentary: Ohio’s GOP just learned voters are not as gullible as they think
Howard Wilkinson
August 8, 2023

• Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, who wanted this more than anything to try to squelch the reproductive rights amendment on the November ballot, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the cheerleader-in-chief for Issue 1, are the ones chiefly responsible for this GOP disaster.
• LaRose and Huffman bit off more than they could chew.
• LaRose, the most enthusiastic supporter of Issue 1 among Ohio Republican elected officials, made the job of hiding the abortion rights connection that much harder when he was caught on video at a Seneca County Republican Party event saying that Issue 1 was “100%” about keeping abortion rights groups’ hands off the Ohio constitution.
• LaRose wasted a lot of time trying to explain what he meant, but no one seemed to be listening and that short video clip became the centerpiece of the “No on 1” TV ad campaign. 

WSYX: Proposed constitutional change Issue 1 rejected by Ohio voters
August 8, 2023

• Ohioans rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to increase the threshold for future changes.
• Earlier in the day, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose was set to vote and hold media availability but suddenly canceled.

Washington Post: 4 takeaways from rejection of Issue 1 in the Ohio special election
Aaron Blake
August 8, 2023

• At the top of the list of the biggest losers Tuesday was Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who made himself the face of the initiative and is now running for Senate to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown (D). LaRose appeared to want to burnish his conservative bona fides — and perhaps GOP voters will give him credit for trying — but a primary opponent has already been attacking him for alleged strategic failures.

The Messenger: Ohio Voters Reject GOP Initiative Seen As Proxy Vote on Abortion
Matt Holt, Dan Merica
August 8, 2023

• The biggest loser in the fight over this issue is Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
• LaRose, a Republican, made himself the face of the “yes” campaign, crisscrossing the state to urge voters to back the issue and centering is newly launched Senate campaign on the issue.
• “This is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution. The left wants to jam it in there this coming November,” LaRose said in June.
• That comment from LaRose proved to be a rallying cry for Democrats and those who were opposed to Issue 1. Last week, LaRose issued an ultimatum to his GOP primary opponents to spend $1 million in support of the effort, which was quickly criticized by Bernie Moreno, a former car dealership owner who dropped out of the 2022 Senate primary and is endorsed by Vance. 
• “The implosion of Issue 1 could be extremely detrimental to LaRose’s fundraising,” said a Republican strategist working in Senate races. “He made himself the face of this issue and then it went down in brutal fashion.”

Huffington Post: Ohio Voters Take First Crucial Step To Protect Abortion Rights Ahead Of November Vote
Alanna Vagianos
August 8, 2023

• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, an outspoken anti-choice leader, was one of several Republicans who attempted to hide the real intent of Issue 1. He told the Washington Examiner last month that Issue 1 has “never been exclusively about abortion.” But as feminist writer Jessica Valenti pointed out, LaRose said earlier in the summer that Issue 1 “is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution.

WBNS: “Last night’s rejection of Issue 1 not only was a blow to the Republican-controlled Statehouse, it was also a blow to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose who campaigned heavily in favor of Issue 1.
 

MSNBC: Frank LaRose “has been leading the charge” for State Issue 1, “his office will get blamed” for any problems, LaRose “tied inextricably” to issue, “a loss for his Senate campaign right out of the gate.”

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