Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is seeking the top cybersecurity and elections role in the incoming Trump administration, according to four people who have spoken to those in LaRose’s orbit.
LaRose, a Republican, has told colleagues in the last week or so that he is interested in becoming director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the people, all of whom were granted anonymity in order to share details of private conversations.
hough early, the former state senator from Ohio appears to be a strong candidate for the role. He is popular among Republicans, stands out as the most high-profile name interested in the job thus far, and could bring the exact credentials the GOP is looking for as they chart a transition atop the federal government’s top civilian cyber defense agency.
President-elect Donald Trump established CISA in 2018 during his first term to help protect federal networks and key U.S. infrastructure from hackers and physical sabotage. But the $3 billion agency came under fire from Republicans after the 2020 vote, amid allegations that its work countering online election hoaxes amounted to censorship of conservative voices online.
The Supreme Court dismissed those claims earlier this year. But Republican policy organizations previously tied to Trump, like the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, have argued that CISA should narrow its work to focus on core infrastructure protection issues.
And LaRose, who has served as the top election official in the Buckeye state since 2019, could also be a powerful advocate for the GOP push to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. He has already served as a leading voice for the SAVE Act, testifying on the Hill this September in support of the voter ID bill, a favorite of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) and Trump.