Action, Unity, Leadership: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose at ALBBS 2025

In his address on the 2nd day of 2025 American Legion Buckeye Boys State, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose gave a powerful message of action, unity, and the vital importance of leadership. His address began, however, with a contrasting remark: As Ohio Secretary of State, he would “never make peace with Michigan.”

However, beyond this isolated remark, LaRose’s address and subsequent statements espoused the aforementioned tenets of his speech. He reflected on the bipartisan activity of Ohio’s county boards of elections to showcase the strength of American democracy, and, more broadly, the importance of leadership and unity for the future health of our nation.

LaRose, addressing a crowd of burgeoning young political leaders, stressed the need for such men in a nation increasingly fraught with tension, division, and hatred.

Regarding these often vast divisions, LaRose warned against surrounding oneself “in these little cocoons where everybody thinks what they think.”

LaRose then lamented how, despite more commonality between our two bitterly divided parties than there would initially seem to be, the so-called “outrage industry” of modern media continues to keep Americans divided along partisan lines.

In order to combat these challenges, LaRose encouraged action in our democracy, particularly from the young delegates and leaders listening to his words.

He gave a poignant reminder that, “the decisions that are going to be made for the next eight years in Columbus or in Washington are going to impact you for your entire life,” encouraging the youngest members of our nation to participate in its future.

LaRose’s speech echoed the popular sentiment of a dire need for unity in today’s increasingly fraught political climate, and his message was well received by the delegates of the 2025 ALBBS.

Colt Williams, Bishop City Auditor, expressed such sentiments when asked about the secretary’s address, “I loved how he took that bipartisan stance, and voting is the number one civic duty anyone can do.”

But it was LaRose himself who gave the best summation of his unitarian, bipartisan message: “If you’re a Democrat, [and] you don’t have Republican friends, you’re doing it wrong.”