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Columbus, OH – As Ohioans prepare to vote on protecting abortion access and overturning Ohio’s current dangerous abortion ban, a new report shows that the entire primary field supports dangerous abortion bans – including bans with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Despite Donald Trump and NRSC Chair Senator Steve Daines warning candidates against supporting dangerous abortion bans, Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno are doubling down on their positions. 

Here’s what you need to know about the #OHSEN field and abortion: 

• At his campaign launch, Bernie Moreno said he is “unequivocally pro-life.” Moreno supports a national abortion ban and does not support exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.

• Frank LaRose supports a national abortion ban, opposes exceptions for rape or incest, and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade. After his amendment to silence Ohioans by making it harder to amend the constitution failed, LaRose put his political ambitions first and rewrote the November ballot language to mislead and confuse Ohioans. LaRose has also said he supports Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s attempts to block top military confirmations – saying Tuberville’s position is “the same position I would support in the Senate.”

• Matt Dolan celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “exciting.” Dolan said defeating the November amendment is a “priority.”

• All three GOP candidates oppose the November amendment and support upholding the current restrictive law in Ohio – which bans abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Read more: 

Cleveland.com: Ohio’s November vote on abortion rights is overshadowing the U.S. Senate race. Where do the candidates stand?

Andrew Tobias

September 30, 2023

• But the [Senate] race is getting overshadowed by another election: the November campaign over State Issue 1, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and block Ohio’s six-week abortion ban that’s currently held up in court.

• But the November campaign also provides a natural runway for the Republican Senate candidates, who all oppose Issue 1, as anti-abortion activists and GOP party officials organize to try to defeat the measure. And as they look for support from GOP primary voters who polling shows remain staunchly opposed to abortion, the Republican candidates, Sen. Matt Dolan, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno all say they plan to try to help defeat it.

• As a U.S. Senate candidate, Dolan said in an email to cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer that he will work to protect the Hyde Amendment, which forbids federal funds from paying for abortion…

• As a state senator, Dolan cast votes against a couple high-profile abortion-related bills that he may be asked about during the primary.

• LaRose has said that in the U.S. Senate, he would support legislation setting a national ban on abortion with an exemption for the life of the mother, but potentially not for rape or incest.

• In a June interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” LaRose called Ohio’s six-week ban “a good standard”…

• LaRose has touted his “100% pro-life voting record” while he served in the state Senate from 2011 through 2018.

• But he eventually voted in favor of [the heartbeat bill], joining his Republican colleagues in December 2019 to overturn a veto of the bill from then-Gov. John Kasich.

• Moreno, as someone who’s never held elected office, has no voting record to analyze.

• But he’s staked out a very conservative abortion position during his brief political career, telling Breitbart, the right-wing political website, in 2021 that he does not support exemptions for rape and incest.

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Columbus, OH – Today, the Ohio Democratic Party released the following statement after former State Senator Kevin Coughlin announced he’s running in the Republican primary for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District. 

“State Senator Kevin Coughlin has a long record of wanting to end Medicare as we know it, hack up Social Security, and launching attacks on workers’ rights. Couglin’s out-of-touch agenda would increase costs for middle class families and gut the retirement programs millions of seniors rely on. Unfortunately for him, it will cost him this race in 2024,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. 

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Columbus, OH – Today, the Ohio Democratic Party released the following statement after Ohio Democrats cleaned up the mess created by Washington Republicans and prevented a government shutdown. 

“Thanks to Ohio Democrats, Ohio servicemembers, workers and families avoid the pain inflicted by a government shutdown. While Washington Republicans chose to play politics with our economy and the well-being of working families, Ohio Democrats put politics aside and do the right thing for our state and nation,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. 

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Columbus, OH – Today, the Ohio Democratic Party released the following statement in response to J.R. Majewski announcing he’s running again in the GOP primary for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District. 

“With J.R. officially in the race, the GOP primary in OH-09 will be messy, mean and expensive. When this nasty primary race is over, the nominee who limps across the finish line will be badly bruised and out-of-touch with voters in OH-09,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.   

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Columbus, OH – With a government shutdown looming, the infighting is only escalating with Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno clashing over shutting down the federal government and competing for the title of who cares about Ohioans the least.  

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. 

LESS THAN 48 HOURS UNTIL A SHUTDOWN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 

Ohio’s Senate Slugfest is already “the messiest Senate primary” in the country with three candidates duking it out while neglecting the issues most important to Ohioans’ daily lives — and their livelihoods.

Bernie Moreno is leading the charge and was first to call for a government shutdown. It’s no surprise that mega-millionaire Moreno doesn’t understand the real impact a shutdown will have on Ohioans. 
Moreno supports a government shutdown – and he went so far as to  launch an ad cheering it on:

Frank LaRose was asked if he would support a CR if he were in the Senate today… and said no. Parroting Moreno’s talking points, LaRose reinforced that he does not care about Ohioans and will put his finger in the wind to support his own political ambitions.

Matt Dolan has continued to dodge questions about the government shutdown. He owes Ohioans answers: Does he support a government shutdown? 

GASOLINE ON THE INFIGHTING FIRE

And now, Moreno and LaRose are throwing punches over who cares about Ohioans the least. After Moreno launched his ad, he slammed LaRose for being weak and “caving to the left.” 

From Cleveland.com:

“In a statement to cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, Moreno took an indirect swipe at LaRose’s comments on Bannon’s show. His campaign also released a web ad Thursday highlighting his stance.

“Now is not the time for Republicans to cave to the left with a clean CR or more funding for Ukraine…”

Did someone say cat fight!?

WHILE MORENO AND LAROSE DUKE IT OUT, OHIOANS’ LIVELIHOODS ARE ON THE LINE 

A government shutdown would be devastating to Ohioans:

Over 2.4 million Ohioans receiving Social Security and Medicare will be at risk for disruptions. 

Over 52,000 federal civilian workers in Ohio will either be furloughed or forced to work without pay. In addition, an estimated 6,800 active duty service members in Ohio will not receive pay.

Many Ohio families, including more than 93,000 Ohio children, will lose their access to affordable food. 

Civilian employees at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the largest single-site employer in Ohio with an economic impact of $4.2 billion a year, will be furloughed unless deemed mission critical.

Thirteen Disaster Recovery Fund long-term projects would be delayed in Ohio.

WHAT OHIOANS ARE HEARING ABOUT THE #OHSEN SLUGFEST AND THE IMPENDING SHUTDOWN

Cleveland.com: How would Ohio’s U.S. Senate candidates handle a potential government shutdown if they make it to Washington, D.C.?

WATCH HERE: BERNIE MORENO AND FRANK LAROSE SUPPORT A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

SLUGFEST COUNTDOWN

172 days left until this Slugfest comes to a head and the infighting just keeps getting worse. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Colleen Marshall, WCMH: “Republicans vying to unseat Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown are insisting they would not support a short term funding bill to keep the government open…”

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