With a little over a month to go until the Ohio Republican Primary, the Senate race continues to heat up as businessman Bernie Moreno, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and state Sen. Matt Dolan all vie to challenge vulnerable Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. LaRose is now coming under fire from the Buckeye Values PAC, who released an ad claiming he was "too liberal" on social issues and "you can't trust him."
The ad was shared by Donald Trump Jr., who, along with former and potentially future President Donald Trump, has endorsed Moreno. In addition to praising Ohio for electing Republican Sen. JD Vance in 2022 and voting for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, Don Jr. shared his support for Moreno while calling out LaRose as "leftwing" and "pro-trans."
The great state of Ohio helped put Trump in the White House and JD Vance in the senate, so I have no doubt they’ll elect the real conservative @berniemoreno over leftwing, pro-trans Frank LaRose. pic.twitter.com/wTJRYxEysL
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 12, 2024
"Can you trust Frank LaRose," the ad starts off by questioning, as it goes into highlighting a group known as Equality Ohio. This includes how LaRose was "a cosponsor of the Ohio Fairness Act for numerous years, and he has championed LGBTQ+ equality..." and wants minors to be able to transition without notifying their parents. The ad also includes 2014 coverage to highlight how LaRose supported public funding for abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
The ad also included a video from LaRose himself in 2020, who congratulated Equality Ohio for 15 years "of fighting to make Ohio better and more equal." It especially focused on how LaRose referred to the group as "my friends."
"Frank LaRose, no friend of ours, you just can't trust him," the ad concludes with.
Equality Ohio has also had positive remarks about LaRose over X to do with providing updates on the 2020 election, as well as from a blog post in 2018, when they regarded him as a candidate for Secretary of State who has "shown support for the LGBTQ community in [his] career."
Last night while updating Equality Ohio on the November election, Frank LaRose told us that people said supporting the Ohio Fairness Act would end his career as a Republican. It didn't. pic.twitter.com/Q0SaqDW5ZO
— Equality Ohio (@EqualityOhio) August 25, 2020
In response to the video, LaRose campaign spokesperson Ben Kindel focused on calling out Moreno.
"The truth is that Bernie Moreno directed a foundation that gave almost $2 million to Planned Parenthood. His foundation also gave thousands of dollars to a group that supports gender transition surgery for children while hiding it from their own parents - not to mention his sponsorship of the Gay Games. His DC consultants are afraid that the voters of Ohio will learn these facts about his radical background so they have resorted to flat out lying," Kindel said about the ad from the Buckeye Values PAC. "Frank LaRose has a 100% pro-life voting record and is endorsed by Ohio Right to Life. Bernie Moreno has never stood up to fight for our values. The voters of Ohio know there is no bigger champion of the unborn than Frank LaRose and they are learning what a desperate elitist politician Bernie Moreno truly is."
Ohio Right to Life released their endorsement of Moreno and LaRose, as well as other candidates for other races, on Monday.
Equality Ohio released a lengthy thread of their own on Monday evening with a statement from Public Policy Director Maria Bruno. "When it comes to LGBTQ+ equality, they’ve all betrayed our community for personal gain," Bruno said at one point about all three candidates.
"Let’s be clear: All 3 of Ohio’s Republican Senate candidates have previously voiced support: 2 who were past sponsors of the bill (LaRose, Dolan); & 1 whose business endorsed the Ohio Fairness Act after said candidate had a personal conversation with EO’s leadership (Moreno).
— Equality Ohio (@EqualityOhio) February 12, 2024
"While LGBTQ+ equality is not a partisan issue, extremists have done everything in their power to make it one. We continue to reject that premise entirely. https://t.co/rFlLkRjJ9J
— Equality Ohio (@EqualityOhio) February 12, 2024
"Equality is and should remain a bipartisan goal. When many say “we didn’t leave the party, the party left us,” that has never been more evident than this current campaign cycle. https://t.co/Nx0Zc4Etcw
— Equality Ohio (@EqualityOhio) February 12, 2024
"What a shame that it is framed as a bad thing that a candidate has anything on their record to support civil rights. A record of supporting equality should be something to be proud of, not hide from, and certainly not retracted.
— Equality Ohio (@EqualityOhio) February 12, 2024
"We need leaders who prioritize their constituents, and not just when it’s politically convenient.
— Equality Ohio (@EqualityOhio) February 12, 2024
— Maria Bruno, Public Policy Director, Equality Ohio
February 12, 2024
This Ohio Senate race has been considered one of the top, if not the top Senate race in 2024 when it comes to the pickup opportunity it presents for Republicans. Forecasters consider the race to be a "Toss-Up," along with Montana, which is facing its own messy Republican primary. Arizona is another "Toss-Up" race, where it is not yet known if Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, now an Independent, will run for reelection.
A recent Emerson College poll conducted late last month found that Moreno, LaRose, and Dolan are all competitive against Brown. Moreno has especially benefitted from Donald Trump's endorsement that came last December, which brought with it a surge in the polls.