Lead crusader against restoring abortion rights in Ohio launches Senate bid

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Monday launched his long-anticipated campaign to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, but the new contender first needs to get past two wealthy foes in the Republican primary. "We need a candidate who has strong statewide name ID," LaRose told Politico as he tried to contrast himself with those intra-party rivals, businessman ​​Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan, "I’m the only one that has that." LaRose, who won reelection to his current post 59-40 last year, is indeed the only member of this trio who has prevailed statewide, though not all of his name recognition may be the type he wants.

The secretary of state has of late enthusiastically promoted Issue 1, a Republican-backed constitutional amendment to require 60% voter approval to pass future amendments. Despite earlier denials about the measure's intent, LaRose told a gathering of conservatives earlier this year that the Aug. 8 special election for the amendment is "100% about keeping a radical, pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution." (Pro-choice advocates have turned in signatures to place a separate amendment on this November's ballot to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.)

Issue 1's opponents have been all too happy to use his words in their ads to make the case that "[c]orrupt politicians and special interests" are "trying to rig the rules to lock in Ohio's extreme abortion ban and stop efforts to restore our rights." LaRose also attracted attention earlier this month when he allowed anti-abortion groups to use incorrect forms to request absentee ballots after Jewish groups, whose supporters are more likely to back abortion rights, used similar forms and were rejected. While GOP primary voters may appreciate his crusade to keep abortion largely illegal in Ohio, a failure at the ballot box next month could be a black eye.