Attack ad uses family tragedy
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The gist
A GOP attack ad used a family's fatal crash photo without consent. Relatives say grief was exploited for political gain.
Background
In April, a semi truck crashed into a pickup truck on an Ohio highway, killing Lynnea Soposki, her husband Luke, and their 1-year-old son Logan. The driver was charged with felonies and accused of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and Senator Jon Husted's campaign aired an ad titled 'Dangerous for Ohio' that used the family's photos and crash footage to blame former Senator Sherrod Brown's immigration policies. The family says they were never consulted and are furious.
How it unfolded
- Apr 2026A semi truck crashes into a pickup truck on an Ohio highway, killing Lynnea Soposki, her husband Luke, and their 1-year-old son Logan.
- Aug 2026The 'Dangerous for Ohio' ad airs across Ohio, using the family's photos and crash footage without their consent.
- Aug 25, 2026The Soposki family issues a public statement saying they are not political symbols and their grief is not raw material for a campaign.
- Aug 27, 2026NRSC spokesperson Nick Puglia defends the ad, saying it holds Sherrod Brown accountable. The ad is no longer airing but remains on YouTube.
Who’s saying what
- Family
- The Soposki family says they never consented to the use of their names or photos and that their grief is not raw material for a campaign.
- NRSC
- NRSC spokesperson Nick Puglia defends the ad, stating that Brown's open border policies cost Ohioans their lives and that they will continue to hold him accountable.
- Husted
- Senator Jon Husted says he hopes the ad is taken down, acknowledging the family's suffering, but the NRSC repeats the ad's sentiment.
Still unverified
The driver's alleged fraudulent citizenship status is based on accusations, not a conviction.