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After being caught on tape downplaying the value of a Trump endorsement – an admission of his own problems with the former president and the latest sign of how messy the Republican primary will become with Donald Trump’s presence looming large – Frank LaRose is now doubling down on his comments. 
 
First, LaRose told attendees of a “closed-door political event” that Trump’s support “doesn’t carry the same weight it used to.” 
 
Then, in an interview yesterday with NBC, LaRose doubled down and cast more shade at opponent Bernie Moreno who has received Trump’s praise: “Trump’s endorsement ‘isn’t the entirety of someone’s candidacy…They can’t base their entire candidacy on one man’s endorsement, no matter how influential it may be.’”
 
Also noteworthy, LaRose has declined to endorse Donald Trump’s current bid for the Presidential nomination but has been spotted with Trump-nemeses Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence in recent weeks.
 
“It’s been a bad week for Frank LaRose who is now doubling down on his Trump problem and casting more shade at Bernie Moreno for receiving the former President’s praise,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “This is just the latest sign that this primary is only going to get messier from here as candidates are forced to duke it out to earn their conservative bona fides.”
 
Read more from Politico and NBC. 

In case you missed it, today Ohio columnist Howard Wilkinson outlined Donald Trump’s influence on the already “bruising” and “combative” Ohio Senate Republican primary. Whether it’s on Trump or questioning one another’s electability and conservative credentials, the candidates in this race have wasted no time attacking each other to get ahead. 
 
Read more:
 
Ideastream: Commentary: The specter of Trump hangs heavy over Ohio GOP Senate primary
Howard Wilkinson
May 10, 2023

• Right now, there are only two announced candidates for the GOP Senate primary: Cleveland area gazillionaire Bernie Moreno, who made his money selling cars; and Matt Dolan, the state senator from suburban Cleveland whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team.
• There will be more. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been lusting for the nomination for years now. Congressman Warren Davidson of Troy, whose newly sprawling district reaches down into western Hamilton County, is being urged to run by the ultra-conservative and deep-pocketed Club for Growth. 
• But when they think about Trump and how to deal with him in their campaigns, they all approach it from different angles:
  • Moreno: Slavish devotion and complete adoration.
  • Dolan: Ignoring Trump as he did in his 2022 Senate campaign, focusing instead on trashing Joe Biden and Sherrod Brown.
  • LaRose: Secretly yearning for Trump’s support. But trying hard to act cool and pretending it doesn’t matter.
  • Davidson: Would likely tread lightly around Trump. After all, Trump and the Club For Growth have been feuding for quite some time.
• Last week, LaRose was the subject of a story in Politico that probably wouldn’t sit well with Trump. In fact, it probably torpedoed any chance LaRose had to win Trump’s endorsement.
• Then, LaRose made it worse by speculating about conversations between Trump and Max Miller, the northeast Ohio congressman who used to work in Trump’s White House. Miller is the son-in-law of Moreno.
• All of this talk by LaRose — which was never meant to see the light of day — has just emboldened Moreno to trumpet the fact that, when he entered the race, Trump praised him on Truth Social.
• [Moreno’s] declaration that Donald Trump was “the greatest president of my lifetime” on an April YouTube video…
• Dolan was asked in an April appearance on CBS if he would support Trump if he is the Republican presidential nominee…Don’t see I’d support Trump in there anywhere, do you?
• That set off Moreno saying what Dolan said about possibly not supporting the GOP nominee for president was “disqualifying, but that’s up to the voters.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence – who has called for a national abortion ban – will be in Ohio today to speak at an anti-abortion organization’s fundraiser in Cincinnati. Pence’s visit is a reminder that all Republicans running for Ohio’s Senate seat hold extreme positions on abortion, including support for extreme bans that make no exceptions for rape or incest.

“Mike Pence’s visit in Cincinnati is a reminder for all Ohioans that Matt Dolan, Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose and Warren Davidson support an extreme abortion ban,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “Ohioans will hold them accountable for their out-of-touch, unpopular positions.”
 
Here’s what else you need to know about #OHSEN Republicans and abortion: 

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

• Warren Davidson recently signed onto an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to restrict a widely used, safe abortion medication. He supported a national ban on abortion that makes no exceptions for rape or incest.
   
• Frank LaRose celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade and has supported an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.
   
• Matt Dolan celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “exciting.”
• Last Friday, the Ohio Republican Party voted to formally oppose a reproductive rights amendment that would protect a woman’s right to choose. 
• Republicans are expected to vote on a measure this week that would effectively end citizen-led ballot initiatives in Ohio and put them one-step closer to passing a total abortion ban.

Columbus, OH – Tomorrow, the Ohio House of Representatives is set to vote on a measure that would effectively eliminate citizen-led ballot initiatives in Ohio. The time has come for Ohio Republicans to decide if they’re going to let an out-of-state billionaire buy Ohio’s Constitution or stand up for working Ohioans. 

“Republican politicians in the House have a choice to make: are they going to side with Ohio voters or an out-of-state, out-of-touch billionaire? Ohio’s Constitution belongs to the people of Ohio, not the highest bidder. It’s time for Republicans to do the right thing and kill this bill,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. 

As reported by the Columbus Dispatch, billionaire Richard Uihlein is bankrolling the Super PAC working to effectively end citizen-led ballot initiatives in Ohio. Uihlein has a long history of donating millions to conservative causes and attempting to buy elections. 

Here’s what you should know about Uihlein:

• Uihlein is an Illinois-based billionaire and “one of the GOP’s biggest mega donors.” who has funneled millions to out-of-touch political causes and candidates.
  
  
• Uihlein has repeatedly used his fortune to try to buy elections. In 2016 alone, Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth spent nearly $24 million on candidates, PACs and parties across the country. 

Read more about Richard Uihlein in the Columbus Dispatch HERE and below:

• A conservative megadonor is funneling more than $1 million into Ohio to persuade House Republicans to vote on a measure that would make it harder to amend the state constitution.
  
  
• Richard Uihlein gave roughly $1.1 million this month to the newly formed Save Our Constitution PAC, which is urging lawmakers to set an August election for Ohio voters to decide on the proposed amendment. The measure, if approved, would require 60% of the vote to enact new constitutional amendments, instead of a simple majority.
  
  
• Save Our Constitution PAC has already been running radio ads against Stephens and Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, in southern Ohio. But the group is ramping up its efforts with texting, digital and television ads targeted at Stephens and other key House Republicans.
  
  
• Uihlein is the PAC’s sole benefactor. The Illinois billionaire and his wife, Elizabeth, are major Republican donors and spent roughly $54 million during the 2022 election cycle. Richard Uihlein donated to several Ohio GOP congressional candidates and gave millions to the anti-tax group Club for Growth, which backed Josh Mandel’s 2022 U.S. Senate campaign.
  
  
• Proponents of the resolution are pushing for an August election to get ahead of a November ballot question that would enshrine abortion access in Ohio. The proposed amendment would also require petitioners to gather signatures of support from all 88 counties, instead of 44, and eliminate a 10-day period for them to replace invalid signatures.
  
  
• Critics say the plan would take power away from citizens and make the process so onerous that only well-funded outside groups could get something on the ballot. Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters’ of Ohio, said it’s hypocritical for the resolution’s backers to use out-of-state funders to fight their cause.
  
  
• “Ohio’s constitution is not for sale to out-of-state billionaires,” Miller said. “The Ohio General Assembly must reject this undemocratic and unfair attack on citizens’ abilities to amend the constitution. There’s nothing good government about this.”
  

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It’s been another busy week in what’s already been called “one of the messiest,” “most expensive,” and “bruising” primaries in the country. Here’s what you might have missed.
 

REPUBLICAN OPERATIVES AGREE: THIS BRUISING PRIMARY IS ANYONE’S GAME
 
From The Hill: “It’s wide open. Even more wide open than last time…If you don’t have $10+ million, it’s almost not plausible [to complete]. That’s the first, second and third hurdle for anyone.”
 
Plus, Bernie Moreno, Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose and Warren Davidson are still expected to continue to “duke it out” for months.
 
FRANK LAROSE ADMITS HE HAS A TRUMP PROBLEM
 
Frank “ideological chameleon” LaRose was caught telling attendees of a “closed-door political event” that Trump’s support “doesn’t carry the same weight it used to.” 
 
At the same time, LaRose criticized Bernie Moreno – who Trump has praised – in just the latest sign that this primary is only getting messier from here.
 
Will Bernie Moreno respond to LaRose’s attacks? Only time will tell…



 AND MATT DOLAN GETS CAUGHT PRIORITIZING PROFITS OVER OHIOANS 
 
The Sandusky Register reports that Matt Dolan owns up to $50,000 in Norfolk Southern stock. 
 
Since derailments across Ohio – including in Sandusky – Dolan has refused to endorse the bipartisan Railway Safety Act legislation which would enhance safety procedures to protect workers and Ohio communities while enforcing greater penalties on corporations like Norfolk Southern for wrongdoing.
 
Coincidence? We think not.