Ohio's unprincipled secretary of state tries to mislead voters

Surely only a cynic would think LaRose is an unprincipled political opportunist. But that same cynic might take a look at LaRose’s antics at the board of elections. Case closed.

Thomas Suddes
| Commentary provided

Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. [email protected]

In what is arguably the most blatant political maneuver in recent state Capitol history, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is trying to trick Ohioans into voting against their own interests.

And this is not the first time.

Last year, LaRose tried to persuade Ohio voters to make it harder to directly amend the state constitution through a vote, a right Ohioans have had since 1912. Voters said no to LaRose’s 2023 proposal, casting 57% of their votes against it.

It may be that when this happens, the Ohio Supreme Court, albeit a 4-3 Republican, has acted to stop LaRose’s maneuver: his attempt, with two allies, to derail the “Citizens, Not Politicians” ballot measure.

The measure, which will appear on the state’s November ballot, aims to end gerrymandering of Ohio’s General Assembly and Congressional districts.

One of Ohio’s most prominent Republicans, Maureen O’Connor of Greater Cleveland and a former chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, strongly supports voter approval of the Citizens, Not Politicians plan.

Opinion: Frank LaRose has abandoned his duty to be impartial. Proof of the election board’s decision.

LaRose, of Upper Arlington, plus a Toledo Republican who would like to succeed him, and a third Republican allied with the first two, approved official language — the “ballot language” that voters will see — that, put bluntly, blatantly misleads voters about what the Citizens Not Politicians plan would do if approved by Ohioans. “Ballot language” is supposed to be a neutral, impartial explanation of how a proposed state constitutional amendment will work if it wins voter approval.

But among other astonishing perversions of the English language, the LaRose-backed notoriety says the Citizens Not Politicians question, if approved by voters, would promote gerrymandering, opposite of what citizens would do, not politicians.

As things stand now on Capitol Square, a cabal of Capitol insiders — a cabal dominated by Republicans but one that Democrats could theoretically one day form — is drawing districts to ensure Republican majorities in the General Assembly and among Ohio’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives.

This is happening in a state that twice supported Democrat Barack Obama and twice supported Democrat Bill Clinton.

In effect, gerrymandering allows Republican legislators to choose their voters, rather than letting voters choose their legislators, destroying a vital system of checks and balances in Ohio government. It’s no wonder the powers that be on Capitol Hill appreciate gerrymandering.

To replace that corrupt system, the Citizens, Not Politicians plan, backed by the petition signatures of hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters across the state, would create a politician-free Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw fair districts for the General Assembly and Congress.

LaRose and his cronies on the election board — state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green (who may want to succeed the term-limited LaRose as secretary of state) and retired banking lobbyist William Morgan of Fairfield County — approved the LaRose-backed ballot language over the opposition of the board’s two Democrats, state Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, Toledo’s first African-American mayor, and state Rep. Terrence Upchurch of Cleveland.

And rightly so, Citizens Not Politicians has appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court, which should have the self-respect, as guardian of the constitution, to block this coup against Ohio voters.

As noted, Gavarone, of Bowling Green and a LaRose ally, may want to succeed the term-limited LaRose as secretary of state. There is speculation that LaRose, once a state senator from suburban Akron, will run in 2026 for another state executive office, such as state auditor (perhaps state treasurer).

He wanted to go to Washington, but LaRose came in third in Ohio’s Republican primary for the Republican nomination for U.S. senator, to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Republican voters instead nominated Cleveland Republican businessman Bernie Moreno to challenge Brown. (Donald Trump endorsed Moreno for the Senate nomination.)

LaRose arrived at the state Capitol in 2011, newly elected as a state senator and considered a moderate in the Republican legislature. But especially in recent years, LaRose has been sliding toward the Republican far right, trying to convince Ohio voters to curb his power to amend the state constitution.

Surely only a cynic would think LaRose is an unprincipled political opportunist. But that same cynic might take a look at LaRose’s antics at the board of elections. Case closed.

Thomas Suddes is a former legislative reporter for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and writes from Ohio University. [email protected]

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Ohio’s unprincipled secretary of state tries to mislead voters

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Surely only a cynic would think LaRose is an unprincipled political opportunist. But that same cynic might take a look at LaRose’s antics at the board of elections. Case closed.

By S. Jacob

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