Ohio’s Biggest Loser, Frank LaRose, Gets a Consolation Prize After State Issue 1 Flop

August 22, 2023

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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