Frank LaRose

On January 12, 2019, LaRose was sworn in to serve as Ohio's 51st Secretary of State, a four-year term. He was the "first Summit County resident elected Ohio secretary of state in about 166 years."

In April 2019, he observed the Ukrainian presidential election. He was promoting simplifying the voter roll purging process in May 2019. He was also seeking automated voter registration, stating he was crafting an election reform bill on the issue. In June 2019, he ordered county boards of elections to undergo security upgrades for the 2020 election.

As the top election official in Ohio, in September 2019, LaRose had spent "months working on a project to purge Ohio’s inactive voters while also trying to address long-standing criticisms of the controversial process." He was urged to halt a purge of inactive voters by Democrats over errors, but he defended the purge. In September 2019, his office was reviewing Ohio voter registrations that might have been incorrectly deleted in vendor errors, with Democrats suing.

In September 2019, he was released from a February 2019 lawsuit filed by members of environmental activist groups, who "accused elections officials of using unconstitutional tactics that kept certain initiatives from going before voters." That month, he also claimed that Ohio had the most secure elections in the United States.On September 19, 2019, he said he was in the process of distributing $12.8 million EAC funds.

On October 9, 2019, the Ohio Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 52, which among other reasons, made LaRose a member of Ohio’s Homeland Security Advisory Council.

LaRose voted for Senate Bill 5 which reduced collective bargaining rights for public workers (including police, firefighters, and teachers). LaRose added that he agonized over the decision. After the bill, which passed by a narrow margin, was repealed by a public referendum, LaRose said, "The voters have made it clear that this was not the course they wished to take." In 2018, LaRose said, "As I look back on (my yes vote on SB5) am I confident I did the right thing? Not necessarily."

In 2017, he sponsored legislation to prevent women from having abortions after a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. He also voted for SB 145, which bans certain abortion procedures.

The American Conservative Union gave him a 100% evaluation for 2017.

On May 17, 2017, LaRose announced that he would run for Ohio Secretary of State in the 2018 election. LaRose defeated Democratic State Rep. Kathleen Clyde in the general election 50.9% to 46.7%.

LaRose sponsored a bill to eliminate six days of early voting (SB 238), and prohibit county Board of Elections from sending out unsolicited absentee voting applications. In 2016, he voted for SB 296, introduced by Rep. Bill Seitz which would require a monetary payment in order to extend voting hours at any vote center for any reason.

His 2016, his legislative aide, Jessica Koehler, joined Ohio's Right to Life as the Director of Legislative Affairs.

In 2016, he supported HB 493, a heartbeat bill, even though similar bills have been unanimously blocked by the judiciary in several states. In 2017, he voted for SB 28, which would require the burial or cremation of fetal remains, identical to a similar bill which has been blocked in Texas.

Early during the campaign, LaRose indicated that he would continue a policy of purging voters from voter rolls if those voters had not voted for six consecutive years. Later during the campaign, LaRose said that he did not support the policy. In 2016, LaRose opposed automatic voter registration, but said during the campaign that he supported automatic voter registration. While in Ohio Senate, LaRose sponsored legislation to eliminate Ohio's "Golden Week" (a five-day period when Ohioans could register and vote on the same day); during the 2018 campaign, LaRose said he favored a different same-day registration system.

LaRose was sworn into the Ohio Senate in 2011. Governing magazine named him one of "12 State Legislators to Watch in 2014."

LaRose voted for SB 72 in 2011, a "late-term abortion" ban, which only affects 1% of abortions, and provided no exception for the mother's health. This was reintroduced as HB 78, which lowered the ban from 24 to 20 weeks, but allowed for an exemption for the woman's health. In 2015, he voted for SB 127, a 20-week abortion ban, and cosponsored HB 294, which prohibited public funds for abortion services.

According to his official biography, he is an Eagle Scout. He graduated from Copley High School and enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the 101st Airborne Division and later the U.S. Special Forces (Green Berets). He received the Bronze Star for his service as a warrior in Iraq with the U.S. Special Forces.

LaRose ran for Ohio Senate in 2010 and defeated the Democratic nominee, Summit County Councilman Frank Comunale, in the 27th District, a Democratic-leaning district. LaRose edged out Comunale 56.5% to 43.5%.

Frank LaRose (born April 18, 1979) is an American politician. He currently serves as Ohio's Secretary of State after serving two terms as a Republican member of the Ohio State Senate from Ohio's 27th Senate district which includes Wayne County as well as portions of Stark and Summit Counties.