When Donald Trump’s team extended an invitation to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose last summer, inviting him to a gathering of Republican officials at the former president’s Bedminster golf club, it marked a significant moment for the Senate hopeful.
However, the invitation came with a condition — LaRose would need to endorse Trump’s bid for a presidential comeback, according to two sources familiar with the conversation.
Only two weeks earlier, LaRose had told POLITICO that he had no plans to endorse a presidential candidate in the near future. Despite this, he eventually endorsed Trump just hours before the dinner.
Unfortunately for LaRose, his endorsement of Trump wasn’t reciprocated. Instead, the former president endorsed another candidate in Ohio’s GOP Senate primary. This forced endorsement was just one in a series of shifts for LaRose, ultimately leading to a distant third-place finish in Tuesday’s primary against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
This downfall marked a significant change in public perception for a man who had won reelection to his state post less than two years prior. LaRose had entered the three-way race with strong polling numbers and a well-liked reputation as secretary of state.
However, as his political future hung in the balance, LaRose veered away from his established image as a pragmatic establishment conservative and attempted to align himself with the MAGA movement. Despite his efforts, he failed to garner substantial support from either faction.
In the end, his bid for higher office ended in disappointment, with less than 17 percent of the vote. He trailed behind both the winner, Bernie Moreno, who secured Trump’s endorsement, and the Trump skeptic, state Sen. Matt Dolan.
Nevertheless, LaRose isn’t likely to disappear from the public eye anytime soon. With nearly three years left in his term as secretary of state, he still has ample time to shape his political trajectory, especially during the spotlight of the upcoming 2024 election.
The collapse of LaRose’s campaign serves as a lesson for other Republicans navigating a party increasingly dominated by Trumpism. As the Ohio Senate race evolved into a battleground between the MAGA movement and the traditional GOP, LaRose initially attempted to straddle the lines before making a play for the MAGA crowd, ultimately leading to his defeat.
Despite his efforts, LaRose’s relationship with Trump has been inconsistent over time. While he had previously criticized Trump, he later accepted his endorsement during his reelection campaign in 2022. By the time he entered the Senate race in 2023, he had shifted his stance on endorsing Trump, but his attempts to court the former president proved futile.
Despite his setback, LaRose remains a figure to watch in Republican politics, with potential for future statewide races. His recent endorsement of Moreno’s Senate bid indicates a strategic move towards aligning with the prevailing forces within the party, demonstrating an acknowledgment of Trump’s enduring influence.