Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose campaigned in suburban Toledo on Saturday morning to help whip up support for Republican candidates, namely Congressional candidate J.R. Majewski.
“...I'm proud to stand with him, and he's going to do an excellent job serving us in Congress,” Mr. LaRose said.
In recent weeks. questions have arisen about Mr. Majewski’s military service and whether he falsely represented himself as a combat veteran of Afghanistan. The Port Clinton Republican, who defends his military record, is challenging longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) in the general election.
Mr. Majewski embraced the support from the state officer holder.
“This is a good opportunity for us to do what we do best, which is get together as Republicans and get out the message,” Mr. Majewski said, before heading out on a chilly morning to shake hands and knock on doors in Oregon.
Some have raised questions about whether the Secretary of State - who oversees Ohio’s elections - can remain impartial while working with fellow candidates on their campaigns. Mr. LaRose faces his own challenge on Nov. 8 from two candidates - Democrat and Forest Hills Councilman Chelsea Clark and Independent candidate Terpsehore P. Maras.
Mr. LaRose said the use of his “personal time” to campaign for others does not make him impartial.
“I've sided with the Republicans, I've sided with the Democrats, I've sided with what the law says,” Mr. LaRose explained. “I don't care if you're a Republican, a Democrat, a libertarian, a vegetarian, whatever you are, we want your voice to be heard in a fair and honest election.”
Matt Keyes, a spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party, denounced Mr. LaRose’s actions.
“Frank LaRose is incapable of shame. In the same week he announces a phony ‘election integrity’ initiative funded by taxpayers, he puts his arm around an election denier. Worse yet, he’s campaigning next to a candidate who lied about his military service. All of this because Frank LaRose wants to run for Senate in two years and needs to beef up his credentials with MAGA Republicans. Frank is a fraud,” Mr. Keyes said in a prepared statement.
Mr. LaRose said he also knows the heat of a contested race.
“My race has gotten more competitive than it would have been normally,” Mr. LaRose said, noting an independent is also on the ballot.
“These are tight races, guys. Let's not sugarcoat this. These could come down to a couple hundred votes,” Mr. LaRose said, highlighting the importance of personal connections made on the campaign trail.
Mr. Majewski said Saturday that he believes opponents are “nitpicking” details about his academics and military service.
“My website guy, who doesn't have a degree, wrote Magna Cum Laude for my master's degree,” Mr. Majewski explained. “Just like he put the Air Force logo on my website, just like he put the Project Management Professional logo on my website. He's just a regular guy from Port Clinton that didn't know any better, and he was trying to make it look as good as possible.”
Mr. Majewski maintains there are “character assassination and lies” being thrown his way by his opponent and others.
“I'd like to see politicians be a little bit more cleaner,” Mr. Majewski said.
Ms. Kaptur’s campaign has asserted that Mr. Majewski “needs to be honest with voters” and “hasn’t provided a clear explanation” about his military service.
First Published October 8, 2022, 11:33 p.m.
