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| Frank LaRose | |
|---|---|
| Name | Frank LaRose |
| Birth date | 18 November 1979 |
| Birth place | Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Party | Republican Party (United States) |
| Spouse | Lindsay LaRose |
| Alma mater | University of Dayton; Ohio State University |
| Title | 51st Ohio Secretary of State |
| Term | January 14, 2019 – January 2, 2023 |
Frank LaRose is an American politician and public official from Ohio. A member of the Republican Party (United States), he served as the 51st Ohio Secretary of State from 2019 to 2023 and previously represented parts of northeastern Ohio in the Ohio Senate. He has been involved in election administration, veterans' issues, and cybersecurity initiatives, and he mounted a campaign for the United States Senate in 2024.
Born in Akron, Ohio, he was raised in Copley, Ohio and graduated from Copley High School (Copley, Ohio). He earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Dayton and later completed a Master of Arts in strategic studies at United States Army War College-related programs through Ohio State University. During his youth and college years he participated in Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs and maintained affiliations with veterans' organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
After commissioning as an officer in the United States Army, he served in the Iraq War theater as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the Ohio National Guard and received military commendations. Following active-duty service, he entered entrepreneurship, founding and operating small businesses in Akron, Ohio and engaging with regional chambers such as the Akron Chamber of Commerce. He worked in project management and technology-focused ventures that interfaced with local initiatives led by the Summit County (Ohio) executive and collaborated with municipal partners in Stow, Ohio and Twinsburg, Ohio.
Elected statewide in 2018, he succeeded Jon Husted as Ohio Secretary of State, overseeing statewide elections, business filings, and records for the Ohio Secretary of State office. During his tenure he implemented reforms and pilot programs including expanded use of ballot tracking technologies coordinated with vendors like ES&S and Clear Ballot, and promoted cybersecurity partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. He responded to legal and legislative debates over absentee voting and voter registration that involved parties such as the Ohio Republican Party and the Ohio Democratic Party and engaged with the United States Department of Justice on voting-rights compliance.
His office administered the 2020 general election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and confronted litigation from plaintiffs represented by attorneys linked to national law firms and advocacy groups like the ACLU and the Brennan Center for Justice. He defended state rules in cases heard by state courts including the Ohio Supreme Court and engaged with federal litigation that touched on precedents from the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and decisions of the United States Supreme Court. He also expanded outreach to counties such as Cuyahoga County, Ohio and Franklin County, Ohio to standardize training for election officials and updated business registration processes under the oversight of the Ohio General Assembly.
He announced a campaign for the United States Senate in 2024 seeking to succeed retiring incumbents and competed in statewide Republican nominating contests that involved primary opponents from across Ohio. His campaign emphasized election security, veterans' affairs, and economic development in regions including the Rust Belt and the Mahoning Valley (Ohio). During the campaign he participated in candidate forums organized by civic groups such as the League of Women Voters and debates broadcast by media outlets including WOSU-FM and Cleveland.com, and engaged with national Republican figures from the Republican National Committee and policy groups like the Heritage Foundation.
His candidacy drew endorsements from state legislators in the Ohio Senate and county-level party officials, while facing challengers endorsed by organizations such as Club for Growth and national political action committees. The general election contest featured advertising buy-ins from super PACs and involved scrutiny from investigative outlets such as The Columbus Dispatch and television networks including WKYC.
As a state legislator in the Ohio Senate, he sponsored and supported measures related to election administration, veterans' services, and public safety. He backed legislation that adjusted procedures for provisional ballots and voter identification consistent with proposals debated in the Ohio General Assembly and engaged with national policy discussions referencing statutes like the Help America Vote Act of 2002. He advocated for veterans' programs coordinated with the Department of Veterans Affairs and supported workforce development initiatives tied to institutions such as the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the Ohio Technical Center system.
On fiscal matters, he aligned with fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party (United States) favoring tax policies promoted by groups like the Tax Foundation and backed regulatory reforms that intersected with business communities in Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, and Cincinnati. He emphasized election security measures involving partnerships with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's field offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio.
Residing in Columbus, Ohio and maintaining family ties to the Akron area, he is married to Lindsay and they have three children. He has served on boards and supported nonprofits including United Way of Summit County and veterans' charities working with the Ohio Veterans Service Commission. He participates in civic activities with organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America local councils and faith communities in the Northeast Ohio region.
Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Ohio Republicans Category:Secretaries of State of Ohio Category:United States Army officers Category:People from Akron, Ohio