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Yesterday, Steve Daines – chair of the NRSC, Senate Republicans’ campaign arm – officially endorsed Donald Trump’s bid for President. With another high-profile Republican backing Trump, Republicans in the already messy and divisive Ohio Senate primary are facing another fault line. 
 
Frank LaRose, who has been called out for running a “shadow campaign” for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat and said just days ago he’s been “staying in close touch” with Daines, has stayed silent on the former President’s bid. Earlier this month, both LaRose and Matt Dolan appeared alongside Trump-nemesis Ron DeSantis at events across Ohio. 
 
LaRose and Dolan’s lack of support has not gone unnoticed by Bernie Moreno, who has already slammed Dolan for being “Democrat-light” and said anyone who refuses to support the former President should be “disqualified.”
 
“Republicans running for Ohio’s Senate seat are scrambling over one another and throwing jabs left and right to earn their conservative bona fides,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “It’s only going to get messier from here as this primary heats up and the field is forced to battle for Trump’s endorsement.”

Columbus, OH – As GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy plays politics this week with Congressional efforts to avoid default, Ohio Republicans in the U.S. House should answer if they plan to support his politically-motivated bill, which would rip critical funding away from Ohio workers and retirees. The bill would claw back ‘unobligated coronavirus funds,’ which includes funding that was secured through the Butch Lewis Act to protect the pensions earned by tens of thousands of Ohio retirees. 

“Instead of doing their jobs and passing a clean bill to avoid a dangerous default that could wreck the economy – as they did three times under President Trump – Ohio Republicans in Congress are playing political games with the future of Ohio workers and retirees. Every Republican Member of Congress should go on the record to declare whether or not they support a bill that would rip away critical funds that protect the pensions of tens of thousands of Ohio workers,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Speaker McCarthy will likely need the vote of every Republican Member of Congress in Ohio, including expected Ohio Senate candidate Warren Davidson, to pass his bill. 

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Columbus, OH – In case you missed it, the Washington Post did a deep dive over the weekend on the craven political attacks GOP politicians are launching on Ohio voters as they work to effectively end citizen-led ballot initiatives in Ohio. As the Post reports, these efforts are clearly targeted at preventing voters from securing key rights, including abortion rights. The Washington Post dubbed the GOP political gamesmanship playing out in Columbus ‘as transparent as it is cynical.’ 

“Facing the possibility that abortion rights could be enshrined into the state constitution by a vote of the people later this year, Republicans want to change the rules by making it tougher to pass such amendments by requiring them to receive 60 percent of the vote. The effort is as transparent as it is cynical,” writes Dan Balz for the Washington Post. 

“GOP politicians in Columbus have stooped so low that they are drawing national attention to their shameless, politically-motivated efforts to rig the game in their favor and prevent Ohio voters from making their voices heard on key issues like abortion rights. We will continue to fight these attacks on Ohio voters with every tool we have,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. 

Read more from the Washington Post HERE and below: 

• For 111 years, Ohio voters have lived with a set of rules for amending their state constitution through citizen initiative. The requirements have not changed and the threshold for enactment has always been 50 percent plus one. Today, Republicans in the legislature want to change that. The reason is abortion, and the maneuvering underway there adds to a bigger story about the Republican Party.
  
  
• The story in Ohio is somewhat convoluted, as legislative and parliamentary processes often are. But the motive is clear: Facing the possibility that abortion rights could be enshrined into the state constitution by a vote of the people later this year, Republicans want to change the rules by making it tougher to pass such amendments by requiring them to receive 60 percent of the vote.
  
  
• The effort is as transparent as it is cynical. Some proponents of the rule change will not specify that abortion politics is the reason they are rushing to do this. They offer alternative explanations for their thinking, such as protecting the integrity of the state constitution from nefarious special interests and keeping the constitution from being mucked up with all manner of minor or narrow amendments. Proponents of the abortion rights amendment, however, say those explanations are hollow and hypocritical.
  
  
• It speaks to the state of contemporary politics and the mind-set of many Republican elected officials, who are using their power in state legislatures to undo rules that they see as unfavorable to them. Early and mail-in voting regulations are prime examples of such action. As seems to be the case with abortion in Ohio, Republican lawmakers are trying to change rules when public opinion appears to be against them.
  
  
• LaRose said the proposal was designed “to help protect the Ohio Constitution from continued abuse by special interests and out-of-state activists.” Later, Stewart said explicitly in a letter to fellow Republicans in the state House that the reason for the new proposal was because the left was trying to do “an end run around us” to put abortion rights into the state constitution and to give “unelected liberals” and allies on the state Supreme Court power to draw legislative districts.
  
  
• There is one other wrinkle in all this. Ohio recently did away with its August elections (except in a few cases) on the grounds that they were costly and generally resulted in low turnout. Having failed to enact the rules change measure in the lame-duck session late last year, the first opportunity to take this to the voters would be next November, in which case it would not apply to the reproductive rights amendment.
  
  
• So now, proponents of raising the threshold for passage of constitutional amendments also want to authorize an August election. State Senate President Matt Huffman (R) said recently that spending $20 million on an August election is worth the money “if we save 30,000 lives as a result.” 
  
  
• Rather than trying to convince a majority of Ohio voters that abortion rights should not be added to the state constitution, Republican legislators have decided to try to move the goal posts. As Curtin has said, this represents a clear attempt to take power away from citizens and put it in the hands of statehouse politicians. That is the way things work these days.

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There were jabs on top of jabs this week in what’s shaping up to be “one of the messiest,” “most expensive,” and “bruising” primaries in the country. Here’s what you might have missed.

BERNIE MORENO IS IN AND THE GLOVES ARE OFF

At both his Tuesday “launch” and following events, Moreno jabbed at current and potential opponents – calling Dolan “Democrat-light” and criticizing LaRose for being a ladder-climbing politician. The gloves are off, folks!

And some Ohioans – who aren’t happy with the current selection – want even more Republicans in this fight…

PLUS, J.D. VANCE SAYS THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD… 

WARREN DAVIDSON TEASES #OHSEN RUN AND TAKES A JAB AT BERNIE

Warren Davidson teased his #OHSEN bid to POLITICO this week and claimed he would be “the conservative” in the race – a not-so-thinly-veiled-jab at Bernie Moreno. 

WARREN DAVIDSON: “It’s safe to say I’m actually very actively looking at the race every day…I would clearly be the conservative.”

And with Club for Growth already urging Davidson to enter the race and pledging early support – setting up a repeat of 2022’s nasty battle between Peter Thiel and Donald Trump – even more chaos is ahead.

LAROSE CALLED OUT FOR RUNNING A SHADOW CAMPAIGN FOR U.S. SENATE

More from WOSU’s Snollygoster podcast:

STEVE BROWN: “I think the elephant in the room here is Frank LaRose. Frank LaRose is running for this office. You can tell by his Twitter feed – he is constantly attacking Sherrod Brown. Frank LaRose is running for U.S. Senate. He’s running a shadow campaign right now…”

MIKE THOMPSON: “Not official yet…”

STEVE BROWN: “Not official but let’s be honest, he’s going to run for U.S. Senate. It’d be shocking if he did not run for U.S. Senate.”

MORE BRUISING AHEAD

Cleveland.com’s Jeremy Pelzer on Spectrum News: “We’re expecting to have a pretty bruising Republican Senate primary. We have not only Matt Dolan but Bernie Moreno, a Cleveland car dealer, has entered the race. We could have Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Congressman Warren Davidson join the race as well.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

BERNIE MORENO ON OPPONENT MATT DOLAN: “We have a very, very simple choice in the Republican primary. Do you want an America-first conservative outsider or do you want a professional politician that is a little bit Democrat-light. Those are your choices.”

And now introducing…

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Columbus, OH — As Republicans in the Ohio Legislature push through a constitutional amendment to effectively kill citizen-led ballot initiatives, here’s every time Frank LaRose has been called out by Ohioans and the media for putting special interests first.
 
The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate Republicans OK August election, plan to make it harder to change constitution
Haley BeMiller
April 19, 2023

• Democrats called the measure undemocratic and arrogant and believe it will erode the ability of Ohioans to make their voices heard. Critics have also noted that Republicans, including Secretary of State Frank LaRose, advocated for the law to limit August elections because of cost and low turnout.

Ohio Capital Journal: In GOP flip, August special election will return
Susan Tebben
April 20, 2023

• Less than half a year after proclaiming August elections to be too expensive for the turnout they attract, the Senate Republican majority expanded the use of a special election this year, complete with $20 million in funding.
• Speaking in opposition for SB 92, state Sen. William DeMora, D-Columbus, quoted Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose who spoke in support of reducing August special election usage last year, when he said they “aren’t good for taxpayers, election officials, voters or the civic health of our state.”
• “(SB 92) is so bad that (LaRose) Secretary LaRose couldn’t even find the time to come and testify about it in committee,” DeMora said.

Associated Press: Ohio GOP advances making constitutional changes tougher
Julie Carr Smyth
April 19, 2023

• The star witness on behalf of eliminating most August special elections was Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who blasted them as low-turnout drains on election board budgets that are bad for the state and for democracy. But LaRose now says he favors this particular August election, which he calls an exceptional circumstance.

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio SOS gives yet another reason to make it a lot harder for voters to amend Constitution
Marty Schladen
April 14, 2023

• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Wednesday offered another rationale for making it much more difficult for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. Now he’s saying it’s needed to fight a possible power grab like one that grew out of a massive bribery and money-laundering scandal.
• But LaRose didn’t mention in his op-ed that his name came up repeatedly in a criminal trial related to the scandal and that he appeared to be in close communication with some of its central figures.
• Nor did his office respond when asked whether LaRose ever spoke out against the corrupt utility bailout before the FBI started arresting people in July 2020.

Cleveland.com: HJR 1 would blast away constitutional amendment rights Ohio citizens have had for 111 years: editorial
Editorial Board
April 5, 2023

• In January, August special elections were seen as unneeded, costly exercises by Ohio cynic-in-chief Frank LaRose, who as Ohio secretary of state is Ohio’s chief elections officer. LaRose was full of praise in January when Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 458 into law. The bill, into which all manner of major electoral changes, including photo voter IDs and tighter absentee-ballot deadlines, had been crammed, started out life — and is titled — “Eliminate August special elections except for US House nomination.”
• LaRose had applauded that part of the law, in particular, calling August special elections “a costly, low-turnout, and unnecessary election for our county [elections] boards to administer.”
• Now, he and others can hardly wait to hold another August special election, courtesy of $20 million of our tax dollars (if Senate Bill 92, which is now pending in a Senate committee, or another measure authorizing this passes, of course).

The Columbus Dispatch: LTE: ‘Sneaky’ Frank LaRose
Dave Schwendenman, Columbus
April 4, 2023

• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose doesn’t want to have August elections where ‘sneaky local’ officials use the traditionally small turnouts to favor their chances of success, but it’s A-OK for sneaky state officials to use the same low turnout August election to push through their 60% amendment to the constitution as regards citizen initiatives?
• If Frank LaRose wants to hold this to vote in August, why not make passage of it dependent upon the same 60% margin he wants for the November vote on women’s rights? And what’s with throwing shade on local officials and of all things sewage issues?  

The Columbus Dispatch: Thomas Suddes: Power hungry LaRose, Huffman think you are stupid or have amnesia
Thomas Suddes
April 2, 2023

• Three months ago, virtually all Republicans in the General Assembly and Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a suburban Columbus Republican, the state’s chief election officer, favored abolishing August special elections as provided by House Bill 458, a measure the legislature passed in December and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed in January.
• What’s changed since then is growing GOP fear the voter-proposed November abortion rights amendment has momentum. (What hasn’t changed is LaRose’s hunger for 2024’s Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate for the seat now held by Cleveland Democrat Sherrod Brown, himself secretary of state from 1983 through 1990.) 

Akron Beacon Journal: Hypocrisy thrives with Ohio Republicans, LaRose
Editorial Board
March 31, 2023

• Ohio Republicans love to talk about special interests as a shadowy force of out-of-state operatives hellbent on disrupting our state with liberal ideas.
• Perhaps they’re really describing themselves, albeit with a hyper-conservative agenda we believe most Ohioans oppose.
• The only special interests we see are Statehouse Republicans trying to make the difficult process of citizens amending the state’s constitution even harder.  

The Columbus Dispatch: Our view: Desperate Ohio lawmakers ready to slap voters in the face to stop abortion vote
Editorial Board
March 30, 2023

• A word sums up an effort led by Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Senate President Matt Huffman, State Rep. Brian Stewart and others to steal a power Ohioans have enjoyed since 1912: undemocratic.
• As with the 2022 Ohio redistricting battle, Huffman, LaRose and other Republicans want to change the rules to get what they want.
• Turnout in special elections is traditionally low even when important issues are on the ballot. Just last year LaRose said as much when he supported a new law that says local governments and school districts can only hold August elections when there is a fiscal emergency.
• LaRose, Huffman and the rest want to stack the deck against Ohio voters.

The Columbus Dispatch: LTE: Frank LaRose and his hypocrisy
Richard S. Donahey, Columbus
March 30, 2023

• The Dispatch has been carefully tracking the Republican Party’s latest attempt to manipulate and control the election process. In the March 29 Dispatch.com article “Ohio secretary of state defends possible August election after pushing to limit them,” the hypocrisy of Frank LaRose, Ohio’s Secretary of State, screams out at the electorate as if he is trying to fool someone. 

WOUB: After supporting the elimination of August elections, Ohio’s Secretary of State now says sometimes they’re ok
Karen Kasler
March 29, 2023

• Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is suggesting he’s on board with an August election for voters to decide on a GOP-backed plan he supports to make it harder to amend the state constitution – even though three months ago he testified in favor of the law that got rid of August special election.

Cleveland.com: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose objected to August elections, but not to change Ohio Constitution
Laura Hancock
March 28, 2023

• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state’s chief elections officer, said Tuesday he supported a bill last year that generally ended August elections because he believes municipalities, local school districts, local sewer districts and others schedule them “to have a sneaky levy when nobody’s paying attention.”
• However, LaRose isn’t objecting to an August special election that would make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution and possibly scuttle a statewide vote in November on a proposed constitutional amendment enshrining abortion rights. 

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio secretary of state defends possible August election after pushing to limit them
Haley BeMiller
March 28, 2023

• Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Tuesday defended a potential August election for the effort to make it harder to amend the state constitution − just months after advocating to limit those elections.

The Chronicle-Telegram: Don’t hold special elections in August
Editorial Board
March 24, 2023

• It seems as if just last year Ohio legislators passed a law largely eliminating special elections in August.
• Oh, wait, it was last year.
• The near elimination of such elections was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing Republican-backed bill that imposed strict photo ID requirements on voters and eliminated early in-person voting on the day before Election Day.
• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, celebrated when GOP Gov. Mike DeWine signed it into law in January. In a news release LaRose’s office even highlighted the law’s near elimination of those elections, except when a political subdivision or school district was in a state of fiscal emergency. 

The Columbus Dispatch: LTE: Why does majority rule upset Frank LaRose so very much
Thomas W. Billing, Springfield
April 15, 2023

• I have some questions for Frank LaRose after reading his April 12 column, “Corrupt mastermind’s plot shows frailty of our state’s constitution,” and they start with: why does a simple majority upset you in voting on state constitutional amendments? 
• What happened to majority rule?