President Biden is rapidly campaigning to ensure he appears on the Ohio ballot, and has received support from the state’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine.
Governor DeWine called an unusual special state legislative session for Tuesday to ask Republican state lawmakers to work together to pass a bill that would ensure Biden appears on this year’s ballot.
In Ohio, political parties are required to approve their presidential nominee at least 90 days before the election, and this year the Democrats are holding an unusually late convention on Aug. 19, just 75 days before the election.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has repeatedly warned that the discrepancy means Biden will likely miss the state’s candidate registration deadline.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speaks at a news conference in Columbus, Ohio. DeWine has called a special session of Congress next week to pass legislation that would ensure President Biden appears on the state’s presidential ballot. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
“The parliament [a] “The Legislature again took no action yesterday. This is completely unacceptable,” DeWine said. The Ohio governor said Thursday: “Time is running out for the state of Ohio to place sitting President of the United States, Joe Biden, on the ballot this fall. It is simply unacceptable that we cannot do so. This is an absurd, absurd situation.”
“My goal this session is for the Legislature to pass legislation that will ensure Ohio has two major presidential candidates in November and to ban foreign contributions to campaign finances,” he said.
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President Biden shakes hands with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in Covington, Kentucky on January 4, 2023. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images)
DeWine scolded members of his own party for not making a serious effort to get the president elected.
LaRose, a Republican who ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 but lost the GOP primary to Bernie Moreno, said Democrats have yet to offer a solution that fits with current law.
“I have said here in Colorado that it is in voters’ best interest to have a choice in the presidential election, and as Ohio’s top election official, I am obligated to follow the law,” LaRose said in a statement Tuesday.
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Republican Senate candidate Frank LaRose attends the Columbiana County Lincoln Day Dinner in Salem, Ohio.
“As things stand, the Democratic presidential candidate will not appear on the Ohio ballot. This is not my choice. This is due to a legal contradiction created by the party, and the party has so far not offered a legally acceptable remedy,” he continued.
LaRose said the state legislature would need to change the law to allow Biden to be certified or Democrats would need to change their plan. Ohio House Speaker Jason Stevens, a Republican, has said lawmakers won’t bail out Biden.
Fox News reporter Anders Hagstrom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
