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Today, Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Reeves Oyster released the following statement on Frank LaRose entering Ohio’s “2024 slugfest” – one of the “messiest,” “most expensive” and “bruising” primary battles in the country. 
 
“The Republican ‘slugfest’ for Ohio’s Senate seat is shaping up to be another long, contentious battle that will leave whoever emerges damaged in the eyes of Ohio voters. In the days ahead, the people of Ohio should ask themselves: what is Frank LaRose really doing for us?”
 
What you need to know about Frank LaRose:

• LaRose has put himself at the center of the August and November elections and has made a series of missteps – including sending incorrect ballot language out to county Boards of Elections, potentially costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
• LaRose has been running a shadow campaign out of his office for months, raising legal questions and ethics concerns – including that his super PAC is being run by the same operatives behind the largest corruption scandal in state history. Ohioans have been slamming LaRose for weeks for “campaigning out of his office” and being more focused on his political agenda than doing his job. 
• LaRose was caught downplaying the value of a Trump endorsement at a closed-door political event while attacking Bernie Moreno – who Trump has repeatedly praised. LaRose doubled down in a separate interview. 

What they’re saying about the “2024 slugfest” for Ohio’s senate seat:

• J.D. Vance on the 2024 primary: “We’re going to have a very brutal primary in the State of Ohio, just like we did in 2022.” 
   
• Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “We wouldn’t describe any of the potential Republican Senate nominees in Ohio as slam dunk candidates…”
   
• Chronicle Telegram: GOP Senate Primary Will Be A Fight
   
• WVXU Analysis: Ohio’s 2024 Senate primary is shaping up to be a repeat of 2022 
   
• NBC: Another bruising Senate race brews in Ohio as Republicans target Sherrod Brown

Trump praises Bernie Moreno ahead of anticipated Frank LaRose announcement

Donald Trump is throwing more gasoline on Ohio’s dumpster fire primary after praising Bernie Moreno – again – ahead of an anticipated Frank LaRose announcement this week. This is the latest indication of just how damaging this primary, which has already been called one of the “messiest,” “most expensive” and “bruising” battles in the country, will become.
 
Donald Trump: “We love Ohio and we love Bernie Moreno.”
 

Columbus, OH — Today, the Ohio Democratic Party’s Executive Committee voted to endorse President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their re-election in 2024.  

“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a strong record to run on in Ohio: from creating thousands of good-paying jobs to making historic investments in infrastructure. We’re proud today to endorse President Biden and Vice President Harris for re-election in 2024 to move our state and country forward and finish the job we started four years ago,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters.

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Frank LaRose has once again been caught putting special interests first, this time helping a pro-Issue 1 group fix its mistake: “Within hours” of the group admitting it sent outdated absentee ballot request forms to voters, LaRose said the wrong forms could be accepted. 
 
The “sneaky” and “manipulative” actions are the latest in a string of LaRose’s missteps. He’s been at the center of the August special election and has been criticized for “lying” about Issue 1, following special interests’ “marching orders,” and “campaigning out of his office” by being more focused on his political agenda than doing his job. 
 

WATCH MORE FROM WEWS HERE

Key Points:

• Up until the beginning of this year, there was no specific form for requesting absentee ballots. But a new law went into effect this April – it requires just one specific form. 
• Mike West with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections explains that The Cleveland Jewish News published an outdated form. Sending in the wrong form caused dozens of readers to have their requests for mail-in ballots rejected by the Board of Elections. 
• But a week later, supporters of Issue One made the same mistake. But they get a different result. Within hours of the Vote Yes team admitting the error, Secretary of State Frank LaRose sent a message to Boards of Elections that outdated ballot requests can now be accepted. 
• So we asked Cuyahoga County why one group got approved and the other rejected. “That’s kind of dangerous territory for me because that’s really the Secretary of State’s call.”
• We reached out to LaRose to ask why – especially since West told us that LaRose was aware of the outdated ballots in Cleveland. The Secretary did not respond. 
• “The whole thing just kind of smacks of just a sneaky, manipulative, last ditch effort to get ahead.”

Columbus, OH – As early voting for the August 8th special election in Ohio begins, here’s a quick look at LaWhoops’ missteps:

1. LaWhoops has been at the center of the August special election and has been criticized for “lying” about Issue 1 and following special interests’ “marching orders.”
    
2. LaWhoops approved misleading ballot language that was so confusing the State Supreme Court ordered his office to rewrite it.  
    
3. LaWhoops sent the wrong ballot language to all 88 county Boards of Elections just days before ballots needed to be printed and sent to military members and overseas voters – causing election officials to “scramble” and potentially costing Ohio taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. 
    
4. LaWhoops is suddenly lowering turnout expectations in a special election that could change the State Constitution.

All while Ohioans are calling out LaRose for “campaigning out of his office” and being more focused on his political agenda than doing his job. 
 
“Frank LaWhoops isn’t working for Ohioans and taxpayers are on the hook for his incompetence,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “As early voting begins for the August special election, Ohioans are wondering – what is Frank LaRose really doing for us?”