GOP US Senate hopeful in Ohio campaigns to block state reproductive rights amendment

Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose has been campaigning for Issue 1, a ballot measure that would make it more difficult to amend the state Constitution. LaRose says it’s necessary in order to protect the Constitution.

“Radical out-of-state activists are pouring money into Ohio looking to buy our constitution,” LaRose tweeted on Monday. “It’s important we come together and do whatever we can to win this campaign.”

LaRose has previously admitted, however, that Issue 1 is intended to block the passage of a reproductive freedom amendment.

“It’s 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our Constitution,” LaRose said at a campaign event in May.

If Issue 1 passes, amendments to the Ohio Constitution would need 60% of votes cast to pass, up from the simple majority currently required.

A coalition of abortion rights groups successfully submitted more than 700,000 signatures to qualify the reproductive rights amendment for the ballot this fall. 

The amendment states, “Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to decisions on contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy, miscarriage care, and abortion.” 

Issue 1 would also make it harder for future constitutional amendments to qualify for the ballot by requiring Ohioans to collect signatures from 5% of registered voters in each of the state’s 88 counties. Currently, constitutional amendments only need signatures from 44 counties. 

Voters head to the polls on Aug. 8 to decide Issue 1.

Recent polls show the measure could be headed for defeat, with a USA Today/Suffolk University survey published July 20 finding 57% of voters oppose it. 

On Sunday, LaRose’s official campaign account on X, formerly Twitter, posted a news release that seemed to preemptively blame among two other GOP Senate candidates — businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan — if Issue 1 goes down.

“The Yes on Issue 1 campaign has been outspent by more than 3-1 by radical activists. I’ve given everything I can of my time and effort. I’m humbly asking Matt and Bernie to do the same,” LaRose said in the statement, in which he added he has so far held 60 events to advocate for Issue 1.

The Ohio Democratic Party razzed LaRose for trying to avoid blame if Issue 1 fails.

“The writing is on the wall: LaRose’s missteps have hurt himself and State Issue 1 while suffocating his Senate campaign launch,” Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Reeves Oyster said in an emailed statement. “If State Issue 1 fails, LaRose will be crowned Ohio’s biggest loser.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.