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Tonight, Frank LaRose will defend his close ties to an effort designed to benefit special interests and silence the voices of the Ohioans he’s supposed to be working for on the debate stage. Watch the debate, hosted by WCMH, at 7 PM ET here.
 
What to watch for at tonight’s debate:

• Frank LaRose will continue to double down on his close ties to the August special election and State Issue 1, an effort designed to benefit special interests and silence the voices of the Ohioans he’s supposed to be working for.
   
• Frank LaRose will have to answer for ethics concerns regarding his close ties to State Issue 1 after saying in 2019 that “the people of Ohio need to know that their chief elections officer is calling balls and strikes.”
   
• Frank LaRose will try to rewrite his admission that the August special election and State Issue 1 are “100%” about abortion.
   
• Frank LaRose will be forced to explain why he was against August special elections – saying that they lead to “a handful of voters… making big decisions” – before he was for them.

LaRose has consistently criticized Trump’s influence

Frank LaRose owes Ohioans answers in the wake of endorsing Donald Trump after refusing to do so in 2016, 2020, and even last week as he entered the Republican slugfest for Ohio’s Senate seat. LaRose’s “about-face” endorsement follows years of criticizing Trump – including downplaying his influence and recently saying the former President’s support “doesn’t carry the same weight it used to.”
 
Questions Frank LaRose must answer after putting his finger in the wind and endorsing Donald Trump:

• You refused to endorse Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 – when he was the Republican incumbent – and even last week. What changed?
   
• In 2019, you refused to endorse or campaign with Trump with the excuse that “the people of Ohio need to know that their chief elections officer is calling balls and strikes.” As Secretary of State, you are still responsible for overseeing elections. What changed?
   
• When asked about endorsing Donald Trump a week ago, you said: “I haven’t made a decision yet… there’s a long time to go in the Republican primary.” What changed?
   
• In May, you said that Donald Trump’s influence “doesn’t carry the same weight it used to.” What changed? 
   
• You called Donald Trump “disgusting,” “appalling,”and “not a role model for children.” What changed?
   
• You denied criticism that you are “climb[ing] the political ladder” and should instead focus on the August special election, saying you would still consistently campaign for State Issue 1. Now, you’re dining with Trump in New Jersey despite the election – which you are charged with administering and are closely tied to – being two weeks away. What changed?

Meanwhile, the former President has praised Bernie Moreno – including 48 hours before LaRose’s announcement. Moreno has also been endorsed by J.D. Vance, who has a close relationship with Trump.

LaRose’s endorsement comes after he has consistently downplayed the former President’s influence

Frank LaRose put his finger in the wind today and endorsed Donald Trump for President after failing to endorse Trump in 2016, 2020, and even last week as he entered the Republican slugfest for Ohio’s Senate seat. LaRose’s announcement comes after he has consistently downplayed Trump’s influence.
 
“Frank LaRose is doing everything he can to make up for his previous criticism and decision to not endorse the former President in 2016, 2020, and even last week,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “This is just the latest example of LaRose putting his finger in the wind to try to help himself get ahead.”
 
Donald Trump has praised Bernie Moreno twice – including 48 hours before LaRose’s announcement. Moreno has also been endorsed by J.D. Vance, who has a close relationship with Trump.
 
Here’s what else you need to know about Frank LaRose and Donald Trump:

• LaRose did not endorse Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, or even last week as he entered the Republican slugfest for Ohio’s Senate seat. When asked if he would endorse Donald Trump in 2024 seven days ago, LaRose said: “I haven’t made a decision yet on that. As far as, you know, who I may endorse, there’s a long time to go in the Republican primary.”
• LaRose was recently caught on tape downplaying the value of a Trump endorsement at a closed-door Republican gathering. At the event, LaRose said that Trump’s support “doesn’t carry the same weight it used to” and criticized Bernie Moreno, who Trump has praised.
• LaRose previously condemned Trump as “disgusting,” “appalling,”and “not a role model for children.” 

Welcome to the Ohio Democratic Party’s new newsletter: the Ohio Senate Slugfest, where we’ll highlight everything you need to know about the long, brutal, and expensive primary taking shape in the Buckeye State. 
 
It was a chaos-filled week as Frank LaRose’s no good, very bad launch threw gasoline on Ohio’s Republican Senate primary, with every candidate hurling insults at one another. After this week, one thing is clear: no matter who emerges from this primary, they will have spent months focused on attacking one another – instead of fighting for Ohioans – leaving them bruised and badly damaged entering the general election.
 
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. 
 

WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING ABOUT THE OHIO SENATE SLUGFEST

SPOILER ALERT: IT’S NOT GOOD.
 
The Vindicator: “[LaRose] didn’t mention statements he made a few months ago at a Republican event that Trump’s endorsement matters, but “there’s probably another 60 percent of the party that doesn’t care who he endorses.’… LaRose will have to rely on donors and outside special-interest groups to prop up his campaign.”
 
WLWT: “Party primaries often leave blood on the ground as the one in 2022 demonstrated.”
 
WSYX: “The campaign is expected to be brutal. Can the Republicans survive more than nine months of bashing each other in attack ads?”
 
Tribune Chronicle: “Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who announced he’s running for the U.S. Senate next year, finds himself needing to make up ground financially against the two other Republicans seeking the party’s nomination.”
 
Columbus Dispatch: LaRose announcement sets up messy GOP primary
 
Cleveland.com: “If LaRose is signaling plans to paint his primary opponents as rich and out-of-town, Moreno issued a statement on Monday calling LaRose a career politician.”
 
The Messenger: Another competitive and expensive GOP primary is brewing in the Buckeye State
 
NBC: “an already fractious primary field”
 
Axios: Republican Frank LaRose joins crowded Ohio Senate primary
 
Politico: Ohio’s messy GOP Senate primary gets a third candidate
 

THE INFIGHTING REACHES NEW LEVELS 
 
Republicans – including Bernie Moreno – warned that a crowded field would lead to a “messy primary where we kill each other.” Five days after LaRose’s launch, the writing is on the wall. 
 
A review of all of the recent shots fired by the #OHSEN field and their allies:

FRANK LAROSE HAUNTED BY CLOSE TIES TO AMENDMENT THAT WOULD BENEFIT SPECIAL INTERESTS AND SILENCE OHIOANS
 
With early voting underway for the August special election, Frank LaRose is being haunted by his close ties to an amendment that would benefit special interests while silencing the Ohioans he’s supposed to be working for. What you need to know:
 
Statehouse News Bureau: LaRose enters race for the U.S. Senate while being at the forefront of a controversial ballot issue
 
Cleveland.com: Secretary of State Frank LaRose has gone out on a limb to support Issue 1. What will that mean for his U.S. Senate race?: Analysis
 
“And while it’s too simple to say that [LaRose’s] political fortunes will rise or fall with State Issue 1, his close ties to the measure will offer plenty of chances for him to catch attacks from across the political spectrum.”
 

Cleveland.com: “Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s Senate primary race will be preceded by his tough race to get Issue 1 passed in a special August election.”
 
Ohio Capital Journal: “Over the next four months, LaRose will have to balance Senate fundraising and campaigning with running two elections… LaRose is one of the proposal’s chief advocates and after initially speaking against August elections when lawmakers eliminated them last year, LaRose supported bringing back this August election to consider Issue 1.”
 
The Vindicator: “Finally, LaRose is one of the primary backers of state Issue 1, which would make it much harder for constitutional amendments to pass if voters approve it Aug. 8. LaRose is so connected to the issue that his Senate cause could be impacted if it is defeated.”
 
WEWS: Concerns raised over Sec. of State LaRose’s ethics before August election
 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
 
Darrel Rowland: “And you thought last year’s Ohio GOP primary for US Senate was fun…”
 

Columbus, OH – Over the last week, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters has conducted a number of interviews across Ohio, urging voters to vote NO on Issue One while laying out the stakes for voters should this political-power grab pass. While Republicans have said the quiet part out loud – with Frank LaRose telling a group of GOP donors that the issue is ‘100 percent’ about abortion – Chair Walters is making sure voters know if Issue One passes, out-of-touch, corrupt politicians at the statehouse will come for bargaining rights, civil rights and voting rights next. 

See more of what Ohioans are reading about the stakes of Issue One below: 

Statehouse News Bureau: Ohio’s major political party chairs discuss their strategies to get out the vote on Issue 1

Jo Ingles

July 17, 2023

• Though there are no candidates on the ballot, the state’s two major political parties are heavily engaged for this special election. The Ohio Democratic Party is working with unions and advocacy groups throughout the state to get Ohioans to reject the proposed change.

• Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters said the party is seeing unprecedented levels of engagement from voters opposing Issue 1.

• “I think Ohio voters know exactly what’s at stake. I think they’re paying attention. I think that they are outraged that Republicans in the Ohio Statehouse are trying to take away our voice and our freedoms,” Walters said.

• Walters said opponents of Issue 1 are in every county in Ohio, trying to inform voters and urge them to vote early because August is not a time when voters are used to voting. Last August, about 8% of registered voters turned out for an August primary for state lawmakers, after the Ohio Redistricting Commission failed to produce constitutional legislative maps on time for a May primary.

• This year, majority Republican lawmakers voted to put the statewide constitutional change on the August ballot ahead of a planned November constitutional amendment on reproductive rights and abortion access. Walters said voters who support that are getting the message that they have to vote no in August before they can vote yes in November.

• “Republicans have said the quiet part out loud, which is that this special election is 100% about trying to stop abortion rights from having a fair vote in the fall of this year. And we think that Ohio voters are not going to stand for it. So we’re out having those conversations with voters again in all of Ohio’s 88 counties right now,” Walters said.

NBC 4’s The Spectrum: Both parties push Aug. 8 election; LaRose on absentee confusion

Colleen Marshall

July 16, 2023

• “This is about protecting their freedoms, protecting their ability to hold corrupt politicians accountable, and making sure they get to keep their voice in state government,” Ohio Democratic Party Chairperson Elizabeth Walters said.

Toledo Blade: Lucas County sees strong turnout in first week of early voting

Mike Brice

July 14, 2023

• Liz Walters, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said party representatives knocked on more than 18,000 doors across 50 counties last weekend.

• “We are seeing activity at a scale we have not seen in an odd year in a very, very long time,” she said.

• While more ads are starting to air, she believes people know about the election and what’s at stake.

• “We saw that this week on the first day of early voting in counties across Ohio, there were lines out the door and around the corner of people lining up to vote no on Issue 1,” Ms. Walters said. “I think you are going to see this as a huge mobilizer both for the August special and the November and frankly for the years to come as Republicans continue to try to take rights away from voters and take rights away from women across the county.”

WTVG-TV: Ohio Democrats and Republicans say their bases are energized over August special election

Josh Croup

July 16, 2023

• Democrats say the timing has energized their base to defeat Issue 1.

• “Listen this election is 100% about abortion,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters. “Rather than having a fair election about abortion rights in Ohio, Republicans are once again trying to rig the game.”

• Ohioans gained the ability to lead citizens ballot initiatives to create laws in the constitution in 1913. Since then, 71 amendments have made it to the ballot. 19 have passed.

• “It is a long-held tradition in this state, citizen-led ballot initiatives,” Walters said. “(Ohioans) won’t want to see changes made to that.”

• Outside money played a role in setting up this election when a GOP megadonor from Illinois funding a pressure campaign to urge skeptical statehouse Republicans to back the idea.

• But Democratic Party Chair Liz Walters says Democrats are unified around defeating Issue 1 and turning out to vote in August.

• “What this is really doing is uniting Ohioans who want a better future for our state, to get involved and to make their voices heard,” Walters said. “You’re just going to see that continue to grow throughout the year.”

WFMJ-TV: Ohio Democratic Party Chair on Issue One

July 18, 2023

• “The citizen-led ballot initiative empowers us to keep our elected officials in check when they do things we don’t agree with. So if you believe power belongs to the people, not politicians, vote no on Issue One. 

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