Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is an undeclared candidate for the U.S. Senate, told The Ohio Star that he hopes to make an announcement for a run for U.S. Senate against Ohio Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024 “soon.”
“It is a big logistical undertaking. You don’t undertake an effort this big without figuring out how you can do it successfully. I think it’s vitally important that we beat him (Sherrod Brown) next year. If I can do it right I want to do it. I hope to make an announcement soon,” LaRose told The Star.
According to LaRose, it’s obvious that Ohioans want a strong candidate to run who can unseat Brown.
“I’ve been talking to a lot of Ohioans about it. There is a lot of energy and a desire among Ohio’s grassroots for a battle-tested candidate who can beat Sherrod Brown,” LaRose told The Ohio Star.
LaRose assumed office as Ohio Secretary of State in 2019, and his current term ends in 2027. He was a Republican in the Ohio State Senate, representing District 27 from 2011 to 2018. LaRose earned his B.S. in Consumer Affairs and Business from Ohio State University in 2007. His professional experience includes working as a consulting firm’s business manager and project lead. He served in the United States Army from 1998 to 2007 and reached the rank of Sergeant First Class.
LaRose has shown support for legislation such as Senate Bill (SB) 71, known as the DATA Act, which aims to modernize and clarify the way Ohio defines and archives election records, as well as endorsed Ohio State Issue 1, which seeks to require petition-based amendments to pass with 60 percent of the vote, instead of a simple majority. Ohio voters will vote on State Issue 1 in a special election on August 8th.
According to Larose, it’s critical for his party to nominate a candidate who can definitively win against Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, who has previously declared his intention to run for office again in 2024. In the increasingly red state, his seat will be viewed as a prime Republican pickup opportunity.
LaRose will face at least two more primary challengers if he enters the Senate race. State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) and Republican businessman Bernie Moreno have already formally announced their candidacy.
Recently, a new poll conducted by Louisiana-based Causeway Solutions for Leadership for Ohio Fund detailed that undeclared LaRose has secured a strong lead obtaining 24 percent of the vote over the already declared candidates.
LaRose told The Star that the results of the poll do not surprise him and he agrees that he is the strongest candidate to unseat Brown.
“The poll results didn’t surprise me. I am the youngest in the field and am not a connected wealthy person like some of these other guys are but I have spent the last couple of years really working for Ohioans. I think Ohioans like that they can go to bed knowing an election is secure. The other two are good candidates but candidly I don’t think they can beat him (Sherrod Brown),” LaRose told The Ohio Star.
According to LaRose, he hopes to avoid the “divisive expensive primary we had last year.”
“When we are spending our resources campaigning against other Republicans we can’t spend enough against the Democratic candidates,” LaRose told The Star.
The Democratic party currently holds a narrow 51-49 majority in the upper chamber.
A primary target for the GOP in 2024 will be Brown’s seat, along with those held by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV.), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who is retiring.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Frank LaRose” by Frank LaRose. Background Photo “Ohio Statehouse” by â±®. CC BY-SA 4.0.
