Ohio Auditor Winner Frank LaRose Urges GOP to Focus on What It Supports

Frank LaRose just won his bid to become Ohio State Auditor, racking up more than 2.3 million votes on Tuesday night. That total easily outpaced every other statewide Republican candidate. It is a stark contrast to the rest of the GOP ticket. Gubernatorial challenger Vivek Ramaswamy stopped at just over 2 million votes. Sen. Jon Husted managed just under 2.1 million in his re-election bid. LaRose, however, stands out as the party’s most popular midterm contender in the Buckeye State.

The former Secretary of State believes the Republican Party is drifting. He argues they need to pivot their message from pure opposition to constructive appeal. If the GOP wants to reclaim lost territory, it must talk about what it supports, not just what it hates.

"There are, of course, cycles to American politics, but also I think we as a party need to focus on what we're for, not just what we're against," LaRose told Fox News Digital. "I mean, we know what we're against. The other side has a bunch of crazy ideas that are dangerous for the future of our states and our nation, but we need to get back to talking about what we're for. We're the party that stands for human freedom, that idea that we're endowed by our Creator with rights, those don't come from government."

He sees these values as the core of conservative identity. Protecting free market principles allows people to prosper through hard work and business building. These are the bread and butter issues that drew him to the party years ago. They remain the foundation for any voter who values individual liberty over government expansion.

One bright spot in an otherwise rough night was Ohio Issue 3. This ballot measure requires voters to present ID when casting ballots. The overwhelmingly Republican-backed initiative sailed through with over 65% of the vote. It succeeded even as many GOP candidates stumbled. LaRose points to this result as a warning sign for the victorious Democrats.

Republican policies remain popular, he argues, even if the candidates failed to deliver the right message. The electorate rejected the idea that identity politics should dictate voting procedures.

"Candidly, I wish more conservatives had showed up to vote yesterday, and I think the outcome might have come out a little different. But even among most people that consider themselves Democrats in Ohio, it doesn't compare to Democrats on the coast, right? The East Coast and the West Coast is more of that kind of, you know, woke DEI cuckoo wing of the party. But even in Ohio, most Democrats are pretty common sense people, and of course, showing your ID to vote is common sense," LaRose said.

He issued a direct challenge to the new Democratic leaders in Ohio. Do not mistake Midwestern pragmatism for weakness.

"Let this be a message to my friends from the other side of the aisle that won their elections in Ohio. Remember that Ohio is not a far left state when it comes to common sense kind of things," he added. "Govern like a Midwestern Democrat and maybe you'll be all right, but if you govern like a coastal Democrat, then I think your time in office is going to be short."

LaRose watched the election play out from a unique vantage point. As Secretary of State, he had a front-row seat as the tallies mounted. By the time around 60% of the vote was in, the reality was clear. Republicans were not having a good night. The numbers did not lie.

Despite the defeat, he praised the 40,000 election workers across the state. Their professionalism kept the process moving smoothly. LaRose has served as Ohio's elections chief for eight years. His transition to State Auditor marks a new chapter in his political career. He intends to use that office to hold politicians accountable for their spending habits.

The stakes are high for taxpayers. LaRose promises to scrutinize every dollar.

"When they waste your money, we're going to make them infamous, and when they steal your money, we're going to lock them up," he said.