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Columbus, OH – It’s been two weeks since State Issue 1 flopped and Frank LaRose officially became Ohio’s biggest loser after making himself the face of an issue designed to benefit special interests and silence Ohioans, suffocating his Senate campaign before it started.

LaRose is now being criticized by Republicans writ large for how he mishandled State Issue 1, including from primary opponent Bernie Moreno who has said State Issue 1’s failure is a “preview of what would happen with Frank LaRose at the top of the ticket in 2024.”

As LaRose accepts the reality of his loss, the Ohio Democratic Party today sent him a consolation prize to remind LaRose that he is officially Ohio’s biggest loser.

More on Frank LaRose being Ohio’s biggest loser at the outset of his Senate campaign:

Ohio Capital Journal: Frank LaRose’s very bad day. Sec. of State dodged press, issued angry statement as Issue 1 failed

Marty Schladen

August 11, 2023 

• At 11:23 p.m., LaRose broke his silence by issuing a statement. It was angry, misleading, and hardly a concession that voters disliked his proposal, which they defeated by a 14-point margin. Making the loss even more bitter, some counties that had voted for Donald Trump in 2020 joined the chorus in voting “no” on Issue 1.

• In the end, all the fibs and inconsistencies appear to have cost LaRose and his allies.

• It’s a democratic norm that when politicians lose an election, they concede defeat and acknowledge the will of the voters. But for about 90 minutes after Huffman spoke and two-and-half hours after AP called the race, from the LaRose camp there were… crickets.

ABC News: Ohio referendum jolts marquee Senate race

Isabella Murray and Tal Axelrod

August 10, 2023

• But now, after voters defeated the Republican-backed ballot measure, LaRose is left searching for a new campaign message.

• The referendum’s 14-point loss Tuesday sent Republicans not only scrambling to address a drumbeat of losses after last year’s overruling of Roe v. Wade, but also speculating over the lifespan of LaRose’s nascent Senate campaign.

• “I think the issue for LaRose is, what is the thing that would reinvigorate his campaign? Because Issue 1 was supposed to be the thing,” said David Niven, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati. “I don’t want to call the crash cart in, but what’s the thing that’s gonna make this a healthy campaign? It’s hard to see what that would be right now.”

The Messenger: Ohio Voters Reject GOP Initiative Seen As Proxy Vote on Abortion

Matt Holt and 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.

• “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.”

Columbus Dispatch: How Ohio Issue 1’s defeat could shake up Frank LaRose’s 2024 U.S. Senate campaign

Haley BeMiller

August 13, 2023

• Voters rejected the proposal to make it harder to amend Ohio’s Constitution last week, 57-43%, dealing a blow to LaRose and other Republican leaders who backed it.

• Now, LaRose is barreling into the 2024 U.S. Senate primary with the cloud of Issue 1 above his head. 

• Still, some Republicans say the Aug. 8 results raised a red flag about LaRose’s ability to message on the campaign trail.

Akron Beacon Journal: Editorial: Misguided LaRose loses as Ohioans protect their rights to keep Statehouse accountable

Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board

August 10, 2023 

• 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.

• That’s horribly disturbing, considering his role in our elections — including the 2024 presidential race and his own Senate bid.

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Columbus, OH – Frank “Ohio’s Biggest Loser” LaRose sat down with WCMH’s Colleen Marshall last week and was called out over and over again for lying to Ohioans about State Issue 1 and the upcoming amendment to protect abortion rights. 

LaRose has pledged to support a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest if elected to the Senate and has admitted he would ignore and even overturn the will of Ohioans who support protecting abortion access. Recent polls show 58% of Ohioans support protecting reproductive rights. 

LaRose made himself the face of State Issue 1’s flop – an amendment designed to benefit special interests and silence Ohioans –  and is now “left searching for a new campaign message” at the outset of his Senate campaign. LaRose is facing criticism from Republicans writ large for how he mishandled State Issue 1, including from primary opponent Bernie Moreno who has said State Issue 1’s failure is a “preview of what would happen with Frank LaRose at the top of the ticket in 2024.”

WATCH LAROSE GET CALLED OUT FOR MISLEADING OHIOANS HERE

ON STATE ISSUE 1: 

[02:20] COLLEEN MARSHALL: “…You were front and center in that race [State Issue 1] and voters handily rejected it. You launched your Senate campaign in the middle of all that…”

[03:54] MARSHALL: “But, you know, you said outspent, outraised, the reality is that we reported just last week they raised $14 million, your side had $17 million. You weren’t out-raised, [they] didn’t have more money on the other side, and when you make statements like ‘Well, you know, they sent these deceptive ads out,’ it makes it sound as if you believe voters were duped. Voters that we talked to carefully studied this issue. Do you think voters were duped?”

[04:28] FRANK LAROSE: “I think some people were confused…”

ON THE UPCOMING AMENDMENT TO PROTECT ABORTION RIGHTS:

[05:25] MARSHALL: “Will you be front and center of the reproductive rights race as well, the campaign for reproductive rights? Because some people say as Secretary of State, you oversee these elections, you’re taking a very active role in them.”

[06:12] MARSHALL: “But, as you know, there’s nothing in that proposal that would change existing parental rights laws in Ohio, is there? I mean the way it’s worded, even the people who drafted it say they had no intention to change parental rights laws. And as an example, as what we talked about in the debate, Children’s Hospital spokesman says no doctor would perform the kinds of surgeries they’re warning against without a parent permission.”

[6:59] MARSHALL: “It doesn’t have the word parent in it…”

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Columbus, OH – This week, Bernie Moreno and Matt Dolan reported “multi-million dollar fortunes” as they battle it out in Ohio’s Senate slugfest. Donald Trump also continues to loom large over the field, threatening to throw more gasoline on the primary dumpster fire after Loser LaRose was caught defending Trump-nemesis Mike Pence. 

And it’s been another bad week for Frank LaRose, who continues to be dogged for being Ohio’s biggest loser at the outset of his Senate campaign after State Issue 1 “flopped” and is now being criticized for firing his official press secretary to gain political favor.

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. 

REPORTS SHOW BERNIE MORENO, MATT DOLAN “SITTING ON MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FORTUNES”

Financial disclosures this week show Bernie Moreno is worth over a hundred million dollars, including properties in Costa Rica, New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Florida Keys – worth between $5.1 million to $24.7 million altogether. 

Disclosures also showed Matt Dolan is worth as much as $41 million and owns “two race horses that fall somewhere in the five to six-figure range.” 

DONALD TRUMP CONTINUES TO LOOM LARGE IN #OHSEN SLUGFEST

After State Issue 1 “flopped” and LaRose was caught red-handed defending Trump-nemesis Mike Pence last week, Donald Trump made it clear he’s watching the #OHSEN Slugfest closely and “any expectation of neutrality is misguided.” 

And this week, LaRose threw more gasoline on the primary dumpster fire when he fired his longtime, official press secretary after critical tweets surfaced about the former president. 

Reminder: Trump has consistently praised Bernie Moreno, who has also secured the J.D. Vance endorsement.

“REALLY, REALLY EMBLEMATIC OF FAILURE:” ONE MONTH INTO HIS SENATE CAMPAIGN, LAROSE CAN’T OUTRUN BEING OHIO’S BIGGEST LOSER

In the wake of State Issue 1’s failure and at the outset of his Senate campaign, Frank LaRose continues to be dogged as Ohio’s biggest loser. Here’s what Ohioans are reading this week about Loser LaRose.

Axios: “LaRose becomes political target after Issue 1 flop”

The Columbus Dispatch: “Secretary of State Frank LaRose put all of his chips on Issue 1… But his bet didn’t pay off. Now, LaRose is barreling into the 2024 U.S. Senate primary with the cloud of Issue 1 above his head.”

The Ironton Tribune: “Instead of barnstorming around the state in support of Issue One, the public would have been better served if LaRose had made his focus the logistics of the special election and conferring with counties to make sure they were in a position to carry out voting.”  

ABC: “But now, after voters defeated the Republican-backed ballot measure, LaRose is left searching for a new campaign message… ‘Anytime something you say is being used by the other campaign, anytime something you say is viewed as so productive that the other side’s putting it in their campaign ads, it’s really, really emblematic of failure,’ Niven said.”

Cook Political Report: “But it was LaRose, who officially announced his candidacy just three weeks before the vote, who became the face in favor of Issue 1. Now, his rivals on both sides are taking advantage… ‘I think LaRose has had a really rough couple of weeks,’ said one national Republican strategist.”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: 

Cleveland.com’s Brent Larkin on Frank LaRose being Ohio’s biggest loser: “For Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the father of Issue 1, the damage may prove irreparable. The man charged with administering Ohio elections, now a candidate for the U.S. Senate, wasted about $16 million of our money in an attempt to disembowel participatory democracy. Some political humiliations last forever.”

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Axios: “LaRose became the face of defeat in a 14-point drubbing that cost Ohio taxpayers $20 million.”

State Issue 1’s “flop” is looming over Frank LaRose’s early Senate campaign as he balances being Ohio’s biggest loser while being a “political target” for Republicans frustrated with his missteps and State Issue 1’s failure.
 
Bernie Moreno has criticized LaRose for how he mishandled State Issue 1 and said it was a “preview of what would happen with Frank LaRose at the top of the ticket in 2024.” Trump fundraiser Caroline Wren recently called LaRose’s involvement with State Issue 1 a “total disaster.” One Ohio conservative radio host called on LaRose to resign for “not paying attention to what the hell is going on with his job” while others have criticized LaRose for a “lack of cogent strategy,” and prioritizing his political ambitions instead of his day job.
 

Read more:
 
Axios: LaRose becomes political target after Issue 1 flop
Tyler Buchanan
August 16, 2023

• Republican Frank LaRose had a lot on the line when voters went to the polls on Aug. 8.
• Why it matters: The collision of LaRose’s professional and personal interests has made him a central target across the political spectrum following the demise of Issue 1.
• State of play: Just as Issue 1 was a proxy for November’s abortion rights amendment, LaRose’s support was a proxy for his Senate campaign hopes in 2024.
• Instead, LaRose became the face of defeat in a 14-point drubbing that cost Ohio taxpayers $20 million.
• Ohio Democrats are calling him “Issue 1’s biggest loser.”
• Fellow GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno’s campaign called the special election result a “preview of what would happen with Frank LaRose at the top of the ticket in 2024,” per NBC News.
• The Libertarian Party even filed a Hatch Act complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel alleging LaRose’s support for Issue 1 was illegal because of his role as secretary of state.
• His office did not respond to Axios’ questions regarding whether LaRose would actively campaign against the amendment or support Issue 1 if presented another time to voters.

Bernie Moreno worth over a hundred million dollars, including millions in New York, Costa Rica, and Florida Properties; Matt Dolan worth over $40 million, including multiple dressage horses

Senate primary candidates Bernie Moreno and Matt Dolan are both “sitting on multi-million dollar fortunes” as they battle it out in Ohio’s Senate slugfest. 
 
This week, financial disclosures showed Bernie Moreno is worth over a hundred million dollars, which includes properties in Costa Rica, New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Florida Keys – worth between $5.1 million to $24.7 million altogether.
 
Disclosures also showed Dolan is worth as much as $41 million and owns “two race horses that fall somewhere in the five to six-figure range.” Dolan has already loaned his campaign $4 million this cycle after spending $10.6 million of his own money last cycle. 
 
Read more:
 
Cleveland.com: Moreno, Dolan sitting on multi-million dollar fortunes that could bankroll Senate campaigns, disclosures show
Andrew Tobias
August 15, 2023

• Dolan, a Republican state senator from Chagrin Falls, owns assets worth at least $14.5 million and as much as $41 million, according to a cleveland.com / Plain Dealer analysis of a report Dolan and other U.S. Senate candidates filed Monday. Dolan also reported roughly $750,000 to $2.1 million in business and investment income, mostly in the form of dividends, in addition to his $123,500 state salary.

• Moreno, who recently sold his chain of luxury car dealerships, meanwhile reported assets worth at least $25.5 million and as much as $105.7 million. Moreno also disclosed $10.6 million to $13.8 million in income, including $10 million he and his wife, Bridget, made selling Champ Titles, an electronic auto-titling business that Moreno recently said he sold to focus on his Senate run. 
• Dolan and Moreno’s personal financial situations are a sharp contrast with Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the longtime incumbent Dolan and Moreno each hope to unseat in the November 2024 election.
• Dolan, meanwhile, has loaned his current Senate campaign $4 million, after loaning his campaign $2.6 million in 2022, when he finished third in the Republican Senate primary.
• Dolan’s riches mostly are in stocks and bonds, although he reported having $1 million to $5 million in cash, as well as an investment his wife, Jessica, made in two race horses that falls somewhere in the five to six-figure range. His largest individual investment holding was a stake in 422 Company, Ltd worth $500,000 to $1 million. He also disclosed owning a share of Madison Square Garden, a company owned by the extended Dolan family, worth $30,002 to $100,000.
• Like Dolan, Moreno also reported a wide range of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Moreno also owns a significant amount of real estate, worth an amount ranging from $5.1 million to $24.7 million. Moreno’s property holdings include a tract of land in Costa Rica worth $1 million to $5 million, and ownership shares of homes in Avon, Columbus, New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as a stake in a home in the Florida Keys worth $2.15 million to $10.75 million.
• Moreno’s report, meanwhile, lacks several memorable assets contained in his last financial disclosure in 2021, including a home in the Bahamas worth $5 million to $25 million and a boat worth $500,000 to $1 million. Moreno, who helped organize a 2018 conference in Cleveland that touted blockchain technology that’s the underpinning for cryptocurrency, no longer owns any Bitcoin, after he previously reported owning an amount worth $100,001 to $250,000.