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Columbus, OH – As Donald Trump promises to dismantle the Affordable Care Act if elected, Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan can’t outrun their records attacking Ohioans’ healthcare. If the ACA is dismantled, 857,000 Ohioans would be at risk of losing their coverage and nearly 2 million Ohioans with a preexisting condition could be denied healthcare. 

What you need to know about Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan attacks on Ohioans’ access to affordable healthcare:

• Bernie Moreno: “[The Affordable Care Act] actually made health care much more expensive. So we have to let the markets work… So that’s, that’s answer number one on healthcare.”

• Frank LaRose: “I’m committed now more than ever to work to repeal this bad law and replace it with real healthcare reform…”

• Matt Dolan: “[The Affordable Care Act] was conceived wrongly, implemented poorly and has become a tool of partisan grift.”

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Columbus, OH – In case you missed it, the Ohio Democratic Party yesterday announced the full slate of candidates for the 2024 Supreme Court race. Justices Melody Stewart and Michael Donnelly are running for re-election while Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes from Cleveland will run for election to the state’s highest court. 

“We couldn’t be more proud and excited to re-elect Justices Stewart and Donnelly and to elect Judge Forbes to Ohio’s Supreme Court. For far too long, Ohioans have had to endure a Court that puts politics over people and too often sides with corrupt legislators over working Ohioans. We’re fighting next year for justice, fairness and equality under the law for ALL Ohioans, not just the wealthy and well-connected, and we welcome all Ohioans to join us in that fight” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters. 

Read more about this week’s announcement: 

Cleveland.com: Lisa Forbes, a Cuyahoga County appeals court judge, is running for Ohio Supreme Court
Jeremy Pelzer
Nov. 27, 2023

• Lisa Forbes, a state appeals court judge from Shaker Heights, is Ohio Democrats’ pick to run next year for the seat currently held by Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justice Joe Deters, the state party announced Monday.

• The announcement rounds out the major parties’ choices to run for the three Ohio Supreme Court seats that are up for a vote in November 2024. Each of the races will likely garner higher-than-usual attention, given the state’s high court will almost certainly play a key role in determining the legal ramifications of Issue 1, the newly passed constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights in Ohio.

• In addition to announcing Forbes’ candidacy, the Ohio Democratic Party said in a release that Democratic Supreme Court Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart, both of Cuyahoga County, will seek reelection next year, as expected.

• Whoever controls the Ohio Supreme Court will have significant influence in determining what Ohio’s abortion laws will look like following the passage of Issue 1, as abortion-rights groups are now looking at filing lawsuits to strike down a number of GOP-passed anti-abortion laws and regulations.

• Forbes said in an interview Monday that she’s running for the Ohio Supreme Court because she appreciates that the court “is the last line of defense for individual rights and freedoms” in the state.

• “And as I see it,” she continued, “it’s never been more important to have a strong court that is focused on fully realizing all of those rights that are afforded to Ohioans under the constitution and (state) laws.”

Toledo Blade: Cleveland appellate judge to run for Ohio Supreme Court
Jim Provance
Nov. 27, 2023

• Cleveland appellate Judge Lisa Forbes on Monday joined the Democratic slate of Ohio Supreme Court candidates in 2024 as the party seeks to build on the theme of this year’s elections of fighting back against what they contend have been Republican “power grabs.”

• “That is an important job that the Supreme Court does,” Judge Forbes told The Blade. “It is to ensure that neither the executive branch or legislature oversteps their bounds and that the law is applied fairly and equally. Lastly it is important that all rights that are afforded under the (state) constitution and the federal constitution are fully realized by all citizens. That’s the job, and I’m committed to doing it.”

• She joins a slate that already includes incumbent Justices Melody Stewart and Michael Donnelly, both seeking their second six-year terms on the high court bench.

• The court currently has a 4-3 Republican majority, so Democrats have a chance at flipping the bench.

• A video announcing the slate makes it clear that Democrats hope to build on the results of the Aug. 8 special election and Nov. 8 general election, both of which were presented as pushing back again Republican super-majorities in the General Assembly.

• In August, voters soundly rejected a GOP legislative proposal to make it tougher to amend the Ohio Constitution. Earlier this month, voters proceeded to pass the constitutional amendment that the August vote was at least partly designed to derail, enshrining reproductive rights, including access to abortion, in the state’s Bill of Rights.

• The video does not mention either election specifically, but it’s clear the party believes it has momentum.

Columbus Dispatch: Election 2024: Who is running for Ohio Supreme Court?
Laura Bischoff
Nov. 27, 2023

• Ohio Democrats will try to take majority control of the state Supreme Court next year in what will likely be a contentious, expensive campaign.

• The Ohio Democratic Party announced Monday that 8th District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes is running and Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart are running for reelection.

• Supreme Court decisions impact how much Ohioans pay in taxes, whether utility companies can add fees to ratepayers’ bills, how insurance and business laws are interpreted, what government records will be available to the public and more.

• With the passage of Issue 1 in November, the Ohio Supreme Court next year is expected to rule on lawsuits that challenge existing laws that restrict abortion.

Daily Kos: Ohio Democrats announce slate seeking to win back narrowly divided Supreme Court
David Nir
Nov. 27, 2023

• The Ohio Democratic Party announced on Monday that Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes would run for a Republican-held seat on the state Supreme Court next year, forming a slate with Justices Melody Stewart and Michael Donnelly, who are both seeking reelection. Republicans currently have a 4-3 majority on the court, which Democrats could reverse if all three of their candidates win.

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LaRose Still Refusing to Disclose Financial Information

Columbus, OH – Frank LaRose is now fourteen days past the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee’s deadline to file his personal financial disclosure – making it clear he doesn’t think the rules apply to him. 

As Ohioans wait for LaRose to provide answers about self-funding $250,000 to his campaign despite mocking his opponents by claiming to be the only “thousandaire” in the race, here is a reminder of all the times LaRose has *already* proved he doesn’t think the rules apply to him: 

• NOVEMBER 2023: LaRose moved his official office – for the first time in nearly two decades – to the same building as his campaign HQ, costing taxpayers $600,000. LaRose campaigned from the same building as his taxpayer-funded state offices – potentially violating Ohio Ethics code – and refused to provide answers on the move and his unethical behavior for weeks despite calls from media outlets, public records requests from Ohio taxpayers, and questions from Ohio lawmakers.

• AUGUST 2023: Despite his previous efforts to eliminate August elections because of low voter turnout and high costs, LaRose changed his mind and spearheaded the $18 million August special election – making a series of costly mistakes during the process, including sending counties the incorrect ballot language and election date.

• JULY 2023: After LaRose launched his Senate campaign, a Republican activist filed a federal elections complaint against LaRose for “illegally [running] a de-facto campaign for the U.S. Senate for months.”

• JULY 2023: LaRose’s close ties to August’s Issue 1 also led to a second ethics complaint for violating federal law.

• APRIL 2023: Earlier this year, the Daily Beast found that LaRose had “possibly trigger[ed] campaign finance regulations” by admitting he was raising money into a super PAC.

What Ohioans are reading recently about LaRose believing the rules don’t apply to him: 

• Ohio Capital Journal: “Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond…LaRose’s failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September.”

• Heartland Signal: “Candidates are required to publicly disclose their finances within 30 days of announcing their candidacy. LaRose announced his run for Senate on July 17 and subsequently asked for an extension on his filing on Aug 9. Despite an extra 90 days, LaRose again blew past his deadline on Nov. 14.”

• Ohio Capital Journal: “LaRose’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for more information about the source of his loan, but it seems like a substantial sum given his current state salary income.” [10/20/23]

• Tribune Chronicle: “I questioned how LaRose could come up with $250,000 out of his pocket for his Senate campaign. But Ben Kindel, his campaign spokesman, didn’t respond to my numerous inquiries.” [10/20/23]

• Cleveland.com: “Secretary of State Frank LaRose has gently mocked his wealthy opponents in March’s Republican Senate primary election by referring to himself as a humble ‘thousandaire.’ But the public will have to wait for details that could shed more light on LaRose’s financial situation, as a federal deadline for a mandatory financial disclosure passed Tuesday without a report from LaRose.

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Columbus, OH – On day one in his new office, Ohioans are being reminded that Frank LaRose is wasting $600,000 in taxpayer funds to move his official office to the same building as his campaign HQ. Since initial reports on LaRose’s costly move published weeks ago, LaRose has been called out for “blur[ring] ethical lines,” raising “ethics red flags,” and “misusing taxpayer money.” Despite calls from media outlets, Ohio taxpayers, and lawmakers, LaRose has refused to answer questions about the costly move.

A refresher on *one* of LaRose’s many costly scandals:

• LaRose has been called out for months for moving his official Secretary of State office – which has been in the same building for nearly two decades – to the same building where his campaign is headquartered.

• The move will cost Ohioans $600,000 and will take taxpayers 54 years to recoup the costs associated.

• LaRose has refused to provide answers on the move and his unethical behavior despite calls from media outlets, public records requests from Ohio taxpayers, and questions from Ohio lawmakers.

• The Ohio Capital Journal showed that Frank LaRose “recorded a campaign interview that appeared to take place in the building where he is moving his taxpayer-funded state offices” potentially violating Ohio Ethics code by soliciting a campaign contribution from a taxpayer-funded building.

Here’s what Ohioans are saying about Frank LaRose “blur[ring] ethical lines:”

• Thomas Yeager, Air Force Veteran: “I was held to the highest ethical standards as a senior noncommissioned officer in the USAF. We should receive no less from our elected officials. LaRose needs to be held accountable for this string of unethical moves.”

• Delaney Marsco, senior legal counsel for ethics at the Campaign Legal Center: “That’s where my ethics red flags would go up… There’s a real concern about co-mingling the official business that he’s supposed to be doing on behalf of all people of Ohio and then the work that he’s doing as a candidate for Senate.”

• Mia Lewis of Common Cause Ohio: “You have to keep the campaign and the government work separate. Once those things start to blur, it becomes harder and harder for voters to trust their elected officials… [LaRose] seems to spend an incredible amount of his time putting his thumb on the scale of one issue or another…How are Ohioans supposed to trust you when you have so much trouble putting the voters first?”

• Armando Telles Marine Corps veteran: “I think Mr. LaRose is not being forthright about the intentions of the move, the timing of the move, let alone the exposures of the integrity of his office coincidentally being in the same building of his U.S. Senate (campaign) office.”

See also: NEW: Frank LaRose Caught Campaigning At Taxpayer Funded Office Amid Growing Scandal; Frank LaRose’s “Latest Political Controversy” Escalates, Ohioans Agree LaRose Misusing Taxpayer Funds; Frank LaRose Continues Dodging Questions From Ohioans, Media, and Lawmakers on Latest Scandal; Ohio Lawmakers Call On Frank LaRose To Answer for Latest Scandal Costing Ohioans; ICYMI: “Ethics Red Flags” Go Up as Frank LaRose’s “Ability to Do that Job Impartially Has Been Called into Question” [Ohio Capital Journal]; LaRose’s Math Not Adding Up as Taxpayers Cover Steep Cost to Move Secretary of State Office to His Campaign HQ; As Scandal Grows, LaRose’s “Answers” Just Raise More Questions About Steep Cost to Move Secretary of State Office to His Campaign HQ; A New Scandal For Frank LaRose: Taxpayers Foot Steep Bill to Move Secretary of State Office to Campaign HQ

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LaRose Owes Ohioans Answers After Refusing to Disclose Financial Information, Dodging Questions About Self-Funding $250,000 and Claiming To Be A “Thousandaire” 

Columbus, OH – Frank LaRose owes Ohioans answers after going thirteen days past the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee’s deadline to file his personal financial disclosure, making it clear he doesn’t think the rules apply to him.

Questions Frank LaRose must answer after refusing the follow the rules, self-funding $250,000, and withholding required financial disclosures:

• In July, you said “I’m the only one in the race that isn’t a millionaire…So I’m going to do this the old-fashioned way, the entrepreneurial way,” but you then self-funded $250,000 – what changed?

• You’ve mocked your opponents by calling them “rich guys [trying to] buy a [Senate] seat” and claiming to be the only “thousandaire” in this race, but you’ve dodged questions about self-funding your campaign $250,000 and blew past the November 14th deadline to disclose your own finances – why won’t you be transparent with Ohioans after you’ve attacked your opponents for their wealth?

• You oversee campaign finance compliance in Ohio, yet you are refusing to follow federal ethics rules and are thirteen days past the deadline to file your financial disclosure with the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee – why do you think the rules don’t apply to you?

What Ohioans are reading about LaRose believing the rules don’t apply to him: 

• Ohio Capital Journal: “Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond…LaRose’s failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September.”

• Heartland Signal: “Candidates are required to publicly disclose their finances within 30 days of announcing their candidacy. LaRose announced his run for Senate on July 17 and subsequently asked for an extension on his filing on Aug 9. Despite an extra 90 days, LaRose again blew past his deadline on Nov. 14.”

• Ohio Capital Journal: “LaRose’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for more information about the source of his loan, but it seems like a substantial sum given his current state salary income.” [10/20/23]

• Tribune Chronicle: “I questioned how LaRose could come up with $250,000 out of his pocket for his Senate campaign. But Ben Kindel, his campaign spokesman, didn’t respond to my numerous inquiries.” [10/20/23]

• Cleveland.com: “Secretary of State Frank LaRose has gently mocked his wealthy opponents in March’s Republican Senate primary election by referring to himself as a humble ‘thousandaire.’ But the public will have to wait for details that could shed more light on LaRose’s financial situation, as a federal deadline for a mandatory financial disclosure passed Tuesday without a report from LaRose.

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