SLUGFEST SHOWDOWN: 3 Days Until First #OHSEN Primary Debate
October 11, 2023
Columbus, OH – This Saturday, the Ohio Senate Slugfest is coming to Medina as Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan meet behind closed doors at a country club for their first field-wide primary debate. With an already “bloody,” “messy,” and “bruising” battle underway, there are sure to be even more attacks wagered and jabs thrown at the first slugfest showdown as the field makes it clear they’re not fighting for Ohioans.
With three days left, here are three things to look out for at the first slugfest showdown:
1. Donald Trump’s influence continues to loom large in the Ohio Senate slugfest.
- Trump has repeatedly praised Bernie Moreno – who also has the endorsement of J.D. Vance, Trump’s handpicked Senator from Ohio.
- Frank LaRose, who downplayed the Trump endorsement earlier this year, is struggling to thread the needle as he faces attacks from his opponents, Trump’s allies, and Ohio grassroots activists for “twisting himself up” when it comes to the former President. LaRose recently stood by his critical comments about Trump – including that he is “racist,” “disgusting,” and “not a role model for children.”
- Matt Dolan continues to face Trump’s ire after he was recently caught slamming his opponents and saying whoever has the Trump endorsement will eventually lose.
2. With Ohioans voting on a ballot measure that would protect reproductive rights, the Ohio Senate field supports dangerous abortion bans – including bans with no exceptions for rape or incest.
- Bernie Moreno said he is “unequivocally pro-life,” supports a national abortion ban, and does not support exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.
- Frank LaRose also supports a national abortion ban, opposes exceptions for rape or incest, and is trying to silence and mislead Ohioans by rewriting the November ballot language.
- Matt Dolan celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “exciting,” and has said defeating the November amendment – which would overturn Ohio’s current dangerous ban – is a “priority.”
3. As the field attacks one another, one thing is crystal clear: no candidate in this field is fighting for Ohioans. Whether it’s Bernie Moreno calling for a government shutdown that would force nearly 53,000 Ohioans to either be furloughed or work without pay, Frank LaRose wasting $600,000 in taxpayer dollars to be closer to his campaign while his office is “plague[d]” by turnover, or Matt Dolan using a “cheap loan” only available to the “super wealthy” to bankroll his campaign – no one in this slugfest is working for Ohioans.
FIND SLUGFEST SHOWDOWN DETAILS HERE
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