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Columbus, OH – According to a new report from Axios, J.D. Vance refuses to stand up to Mitch McConnell for blocking urgently-needed legislation to invest in American semiconductor manufacturing – including vital funding for Intel to create 3,000 jobs in Licking County.

Instead, Vance blamed “do-nothing leadership” and a “leftist wishlist,” deflecting responsibility from McConnell after he blew up bipartisan negotiations in order to prevent Democrats from lowering prescription drug costs for working families.

Vance’s refusal to confront McConnell by name comes after he bragged about criticizing the Senate Minority Leader when it suited him in a crowded Republican primary. Here’s what Vance and his allies said then about McConnell:

• Last year, Vance said, “I think McConnell has shown at times that he’s a little out of touch with the base … I think that it’s time that we moved beyond the very old leadership class that’s dominated the Republican Party for a long time. We’ve got to do it. We’ve got to bring some new blood in. We’ve got to get people the base is really excited about.”
• In January 2022, Bannon (at the 23 minute and 48 second mark) asked Vance if he would vote for McConnell, and Vance responded, “I’ve been the only person in the Ohio Senate race who’s actually been willing to criticize leadership–and I just did–and I will continue to criticize leadership when I think that they’re wrong.”
• When introducing Vance at a campaign event on April 30 in Newark, Ohio, Marjorie Taylor Greene said to applause (at around the 12-minute and 30 second mark), “He’s [Vance] someone I know who will go into the Senate and won’t hand his voting card over to Mitch McConnell.”
• Vance’s allies at his super PAC went after Josh Mandel for being two-faced on Mitch McConnell. Ryan Girdusky, who worked at Protect Ohio Values, tweeted in a thread that Mandel was a “fraud” because “as he publicly mimicked Trump’s incendiary rhetoric, Mandel would privately reach out to McConnell’s top lieutenants to alert them each time one of his top rivals, J.D. Vance, criticized Washington Republicans — effectively trying to have it both ways.”

But now that Vance needs McConnell’s deep-pocketed allies, he’s been hobnobbing in D.C. at an NRSC retreat and conveniently has nothing to say about McConnell’s obstruction of 3,000 new jobs in Ohio.

“When it was politically convenient, J.D. Vance went after Mitch McConnell – but now that he needs McConnell’s corporate special interest money, Vance can’t bother to stand up to McConnell as he holds 3,000 Ohio jobs hostage. J.D. Vance is a complete phony who will do or say anything to get elected,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

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Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, Andrew Tobias from Cleveland.com reports that Frank LaRose is spending another near quarter of a million dollars in taxpayer dollars on an unprecedented second primary. That’s on top of more than $30 million Ohioans are already paying for the redistricting chaos created by Republicans. All of this because LaRose and his fellow Republicans broke the law time and time again and passed GOP-gerrymandered maps that created the need for two primaries. By completely ignoring the needs of Ohio voters, all LaRose has done is create more election chaos and confusion that will cost Ohioans tens of millions of dollars and counting.

“Ohio is holding a second primary election thanks to delays in redistricting, the process of redrawing state legislative lines to reflect recent population changes. Amid ongoing lawsuits, and after the Ohio Supreme Court rejected numerous maps drawn by Republicans as illegally gerrymandered in favor of the GOP, there were no legally valid maps when the first primary election happened in May,” writes Tobias.

“At a time when too many Ohioans are struggling to make ends meet, they shouldn’t have to foot the bill for LaRose and his fellow Republicans breaking the law. LaRose is squarely to blame for the chaos, costs and confusion created by the second primary. Instead of doing his job from the start, he’s costing working Ohioans millions of dollars because he only cares about himself and a Senate race he’ll lose in two years, ” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

Read more from Cleveland.com here and below:

• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose will spend more than three times as much as normal to promote public awareness of the upcoming primary election on Aug. 2, as state officials fear the unusual second primary election will result in low voter turnout.
• The Ohio Controlling Board, a state spending panel, voted Monday to approve a LaRose request for $244,500 in extra funding. Chris Oliveti, an official in the Secretary of State’s Office, said the money will be spent on public service announcements on radio, TV and digital platforms.
• LaRose’s office spent $70,000 on PSAs for the first primary election in May. But it’s spending more this time around because of the unusual circumstances that led to the second primary election, a rarity in Ohio.
• State lawmakers have predicted a very low turnout in part because there will be no federal or statewide races to pique voter interest, and due to the fact that Ohio typically only has one primary election.
• Ohio held its first primary election in May, when voters chose candidates for governor, U.S. Senate and Congress.
• Ohio is holding a second primary election thanks to delays in redistricting, the process of redrawing state legislative lines to reflect recent population changes. Amid ongoing lawsuits, and after the Ohio Supreme Court rejected numerous maps drawn by Republicans as illegally gerrymandered in favor of the GOP, there were no legally valid maps when the first primary election happened in May.
• After a months-long legal saga, panel of federal judges in May ordered the Aug. 2 election, picking one of the Ohio House and Senate maps the Ohio Supreme Court had rejected as illegal.

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Columbus, OH —  Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters applauded Attorney General candidate Rep. Jeff Crossman’s pledge to fight for a woman’s right to choose and plan to protect providers and patients.

“While Dave Yost ran as fast he could to implement Ohio’s draconian six-week abortion ban and rip away reproductive rights, Jeff Crossman is prioritizing public safety, personal freedom and a woman’s right to choose. Ohioans have paid the price for Republican rule long enough, as politicians like Yost put their party’s interests above the interests of hardworking Ohioans. Ohio Democrats like Jeff Crossman are offering Ohioans a better way forward because Ohioans deserve better,” said Chair Walters.

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Columbus, OH — Late yesterday, Republican politicians released their latest attack on Ohio women as they introduced legislation that represents a total ban on abortion, likely including IVF. And make no mistake: Mike DeWine will sign this bill into law if he’s reelected in November.

DeWine has promised to “go as far as we can” to restrict abortion rights in Ohio and has already said he will sign the six-week abortion ban into law once it’s passed by the legislature, a bill which includes no exemptions for rape or incest. Republicans are already rolling out the playbook outlined by Rep. Jean Schmidt earlier this month, indicating bans on birth control may be next.   

“Mike DeWine is the most anti-choice governor in the country, and if he’s reelected it’s all but assured he will sign this extreme bill into law. He’s promised to ‘go as far as we can’ to restrict reproductive rights and should he win in November, he’s sure to keep that promise. This bill is a good reminder of what’s at stake this election and just how far Republicans will go to punish women, from ripping away abortion rights to banning IVF and coming for birth control in our state. Nothing is off the table for these radical Republicans,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

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July 11, 2022

Good Monday afternoon, and welcome back to Mike Check, your weekly source of all the infighting, conspiracy spewing and corruption that’s making headlines in and around the Republican governor’s race and Mike DeWine’s statehouse, courtesy of the Ohio Democratic Party.

Here are some stories you may have missed:

A FULL ACCOUNTING: Despite empty claims from the DeWine team about the governor’s commitment to “transparency and accountability,” Mike DeWine still refuses to tell Ohio what he knew and when about the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio’s history. Last week, ODP filed a preliminary injunction in the ongoing lawsuit over DeWine’s unconstitutional refusal to turn over records connected to the FirstEnergy bribery scandal. We’re taking further legal action to make sure key records connected to the scandal are not destroyed by DeWine and Ohioans can get the answers they deserve. Bottom line, Ohio Dems will not stop fighting until Mike DeWine gives a full accounting of what he knew about the largest public corruption scandal in state history and when he knew it.

HUSTED’S BANK HEIST.  After months of asking, Jon Husted finally admitted his highly controversial paid bank board position will add another five figures a year to his six-figure government paycheck. After coughing up the financial details, Husted then tried to claim the bank job was “educational.” It’s only the latest example of DeWine officials looking to line their own pockets while working Ohioans are left behind.

THE BUCK STOPS SOMEWHERE ELSE.  When asked about a 10-year-old forced to cross state lines for an abortion following a rape, DeWine refused to comment on Ohio’s six-week abortion ban and defend his signing an executive order that put that ban into place mere hours after the Supreme Court ruled. A 10-year-old victim could not get critical healthcare physicians advocated for without driving out of state, and all DeWine could do was talk around a law he signed that created the problem in the first place.

Thanks for catching up with us, that’s all the Mike Check we’ve got for this week. Have a great week!

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