Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ends campaign for governor

Decision comes one week after Ohio GOP endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy over Yost
Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks during an election night watch party on Nov. 8, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. In an interview with the Associated Press Wednesday, Dec. 14, Yost says he laments suffering he caused by suggesting in a nationally-televised interview that a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who had sought an abortion in Indiana might have been a fabrication. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks during an election night watch party on Nov. 8, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. In an interview with the Associated Press Wednesday, Dec. 14, Yost says he laments suffering he caused by suggesting in a nationally-televised interview that a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who had sought an abortion in Indiana might have been a fabrication. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost suspended his gubernatorial campaign Friday, one week after the Ohio Republican Party endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for the 2026 primary election.

Yost, a longtime state official, and Ramaswamy, a close ally to President Donald Trump, were the two big names trying to replace term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, who is set to leave office in early 2027.

In a letter he sent to supporters detailing his decision, Yost wrote that he would drop out of the race to to consolidate Republican support under Ramaswamy.

“... it is also apparent that a steep climb to the nomination for governor has become a vertical cliff,” Yost wrote. “I do not wish to divide my political party or my state with a quixotic battle over the small differences between my vision and that of my opponent. I am simply not that important.”

After his party endorsed Ramaswamy, who has never held political office, Yost’s campaign released a statement that he would consult supporters about a path forward, while noting that “the people of Ohio deserve a choice, not a premature coronation of an untested candidate.”

Note: This is a developing story and may be updated as more information becomes available.


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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.

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