According to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has raised $1.75 million and spent $581,072 between Jan. 1, 2021 and Apr. 13, 2022. LaRose is currently ranked fifth in state-level donations in the 2022 election cycle.
LaRose is a member of the Republican Party and assumed office in 2019. In Ohio, the secretary of state is an elected position. Duties vary by state but are generally administrative in nature and may include recordkeeping, certification of state documents, and serving as chief election official. LaRose is running for reelection in 2022.
LaRose’s reported campaign finance activity, by quarter (2017-2022)
Contributions to LaRose
Of the $1,747,725 already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 9.26 percent came from the top 10 donors.
Top Donors to LaRose (1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Donor Name | Donor Type |
| 1. | $39,116.78 | Orp PAC | ENTITY |
| 2. | $15,000.00 | Susan B and James A Haslam III | INDIVIDUAL |
| 3. | $13,704.41 | John Pritzker | INDIVIDUAL |
| 4. | $13,704.41 | Reid Garrett Hoffman | INDIVIDUAL |
| 5. | $13,700.00 | Adam A Thomarios | INDIVIDUAL |
| 6. | $13,700.00 | Heather L Wrightsel | INDIVIDUAL |
| 7. | $13,700.00 | Jason S Lucarelli | INDIVIDUAL |
| 8. | $13,700.00 | Thomas A Larose | INDIVIDUAL |
| 9. | $13,000.00 | Samuel R Walton | INDIVIDUAL |
| 10. | $12,500.00 | Thrive Companies PAC | ENTITY |
Expenditures by LaRose
On the expenditures side, LaRose reported $581,072, with 73.88 percent of all spending going to the 10 payees topping this list.
Top Expenditures by LaRose (1/1/2021 – 4/13/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Payee Name | Payee Type |
| 1. | $100,000.00 | Strategic Media Placement Inc | ENTITY |
| 2. | $84,417.28 | Dudley Group | ENTITY |
| 3. | $70,500.00 | Red Brick Strategies | ENTITY |
| 4. | $42,500.00 | Apx Strategies | ENTITY |
| 5. | $35,286.67 | Right Digital LLC | ENTITY |
| 6. | $31,500.00 | Advictory LLC | ENTITY |
| 7. | $25,812.49 | Strategy Group for Media Inc | ENTITY |
| 8. | $14,662.73 | Qwestcom Graphics Inc | ENTITY |
| 9. | $12,615.24 | Stripe | ENTITY |
| 10. | $12,000.00 | Fulcrum Campaign Strategies | ENTITY |
How donations to LaRose compare to the same office in other states
Contributions vary widely among officeholders in the same role. A number of factors, including whether the position is appointed or elected, can influence donor activity. Here is how LaRose compares to the 10 other state and commonwealth secretaries with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022:
Across the U.S., 27 secretaries of state are members of the Republican Party and 20 are members of the Democratic Party. Voters elect the secretary of state in 35 states, while they are appointed by either the governor or state legislature in the other 12. Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah do not have secretaries of state. In 2022, 27 states are holding elections for the position.
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Ohio PACs submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2021 Annual | 1/31/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-Primary | 4/21/2022 |
| 2022 Post-Primary | 6/10/2022 |
| 2022 Semiannual | 7/29/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-General | 10/27/2022 |
| 2022 Post-General | 12/16/2022 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.