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Columbus, OH — Today, Republican gubernatorial challenger Jim Renacci selected Joe Knopp (?) to be his running mate, setting up an even nastier primary as Knopp introduced himself to Ohio by going on the attack against Mike DeWine and Jon Husted. DeWine and Husted are already underwater with Republican voters and a nasty primary in which they face more attacks from the right are only going to continue to further sink their numbers among Republicans, putting their ability to survive a primary further in question.

“It says a lot about Mike DeWine and Jon Husted that they’re so unpalatable to Ohio voters that even Jim Renacci and a guy none of us have ever heard of have a real shot in the Republican primary for governor. While Republicans will be busy duking it out over who cares less about the health and safety of Ohioans, Democrats will be traveling across the state to share our vision of putting working families first and showing voters we’re on their side,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

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LaRose’s Hollow Claims about Fighting for Election Integrity and Telling the Truth to Both Sides Ring Hollow as He Once Again Tries to Placate Trump Republicans

Columbus, OH — In case you missed it (for over a year now), Joe Biden is in fact the president and the election was not “rigged.” Just don’t ask Frank LaRose to answer any of those questions and expect to get a straight response. At the Hamilton County Board of Elections yesterday, LaRose once again showed he’s a coward by attempting to duck questions on the 2020 election in Ohio. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that LaRose couldn’t even give a straight answer on who won the 2020 election and spent most of the time praising Trump, scared of alienating his Republican base that’s already skeptical of him. 

“But when asked by The Enquirer whether he believed Trump won or lost the 2020 election nationally, LaRose didn’t give a simple answer,” writes the Enquirer. 

“Frank LaRose talked a big game about calling out election lies when they happen, but his political calculus has clearly changed as he’s sounding more like Josh Mandel every day.  By refusing to tell voters the truth clearly and directly and by failing once again to stand up to his own party, Larose made it clear his own political ambitions will always come first,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes. 

You can read more from the Enquirer here and below: 

• As the sound of papers being shuffled filled the large room, LaRose stood before a placard stating “Security, transparency, integrity” and told the press Ohio’s elections are safe and secure.

• But when asked by The Enquirer whether he believed Trump won or lost the 2020 election nationally, LaRose didn’t give a simple answer.

• “I can speak for Ohio,” LaRose said Tuesday. “I can tell you President Trump won a decisive victory in Ohio, in fact, a record-setting victory. Nobody has ever gotten 3 million votes in our state history.”

• LaRose, a Republican first elected to secretary of state in 2018, didn’t directly criticize Trump.

• LaRose faces a primary challenge in 2022 from former state legislator John Adams, a Trump loyalist who has touted debunked claims that cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s win.

• LaRose voiced concerns about “last-minute changes” being made by courts to the election process in some states, though he didn’t cite specific examples. He did dismiss false conspiracy theories about bamboo ballots from China and “secret algorithms.”

• After a two-minute explanation, LaRose recognized President Joe Biden’s victory. “Under the rules in place, President Biden won,” LaRose said.

• Does Trump bear responsibility for undermining people’s faith in elections?

• LaRose didn’t call Trump out by name. Instead, he called out Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams for not conceding the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. Abrams was the only politician he criticized by name.

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Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement as the Supreme Court begins oral arguments on the dangerous Mississippi 15-week abortion ban that effectively renders Roe v. Wade meaningless:

“As the Supreme Court begins to hear arguments on Mississippi’s dangerous abortion ban, it puts a spotlight on Ohio Republicans’ relentless efforts to strip healthcare away and put the reproductive rights of thousands of Ohioans at risk. Ohio Republican politicians at every level are trying to ban abortion and insert themselves in a decision that should be between Ohioans and their doctors. In 2022, Ohioans will hold Republicans accountable as they continue to relentlessly attack Ohioans’ rights and put their health and safety at risk.”

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West Chester Township, OH —  Today, all of the leading GOP Senate candidates participated in a forum with the Ohio Press Network in West Chester Township. In response, Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Michael Beyer released the following statement:  

“While Democrats are focused on lowering costs, rebuilding our infrastructure and growing jobs in Ohio, the out-of-touch millionaires running for U.S. Senate added more fuel to the fire in their never-ending brawl. With less than six months to go and millions more to spend, tonight’s forum highlighted just how low each of the Ohio GOP Senate candidates are willing to go to put their own self-serving ambition first and turn off Ohioans in the process.”

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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.

As the gubernatorial race heats up, Republicans are in disarray with Mike DeWine’s popularity dropping by the day, facing attacks both inside and outside of the Republican Party, and having to answer for the largest public corruption scandal in state history. It’s hard to keep up with all of the corruption and mess surrounding Mike DeWine and the GOP gubernatorial primary, so here are some stories you may have missed:

WHAT DOES JON KNOW? While we all knew Jon Husted likely knew much more about the HB 6 scandal than he wants us to believe, former FirstEnergy lobbyist Michael Dowling confirmed as much last week when he listed Husted as someone he believed would have “knowledge of the underlying factual allegations” of the HB6 scandal. DeWine and Husted continue to duck questions from the media and try to “no comment” their way out of the largest public corruption scandal in state history. But with these latest revelations, it’s more important than ever that DeWine and Husted answer what they knew and when and disclose any role they played in the ongoing scandal.

WHEN THE WORST PERSON YOU KNOW MAKES A GREAT POINT. When even Jim Renacci, who knows a scandal better than anyone (read: Ben Suarez and a strip club plane), is calling you out for your corruption, you know you’ve got it bad.

DEWINE ON DEFENSE. Mike DeWine continues to get called out for putting his own political interests ahead of the interests of Ohio voters after he signed an unconstitutional, gerrymandered congressional map into law. Mike DeWine once again showed Ohio voters that you can only count on DeWine for one thing: naked, partisan self-interest. DeWine is scared of a Republican primary and the extreme GOP legislature, and he’ll do anything to protect his own political interests, including things he promised not to do.

Thanks for catching up with us, that’s all the Mike Check we’ve got for this week. If you have questions my email is [email protected]. Have a great week!

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