There could be a big shake up coming among Republicans in state government, as one of the five term-limited statewide executive officeholders is set to suddenly resign from that post.
Sources have confirmed to the Statehouse News Bureau that Attorney General Dave Yost will resign from that office today to accept a private sector job. If Yost departs immediately, he would be leaving state government after 25 years, with around eight months left in his second term as AG.
Yost is term limited and started a campaign for governor at the start of 2025, but dropped out of the race last May after Vivek Ramaswamy joined the race and secured endorsements from the Ohio Republican Party and President Trump.
Gov. Mike DeWine could appoint someone who would hold the AG’s office till the end of Yost’s term in January. However, Auditor Keith Faber is an option, as he’s running for AG. But that could set off a chain reaction, as Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor, treasurer Robert Sprague won the Republican primary for secretary of state on Tuesday, and former Rep. Jay Edwards also just won the GOP nomination for treasurer.
Yost had planned to run for attorney general in 2010, but left that race as DeWine got into it. Yost ran for auditor instead, and he and DeWine both won. Yost served two terms in that office before he was elected to his first term as attorney general in 2018.
In March 2025, before he left the race for governor, Yost sat for an interview on "The State of Ohio" and was asked about his decision to run for that office.
"I'm pursuing the the direction that is on my heart," Yost said. "I care about the people of this state, and I'm going to keep going as long as they'll have me as their servant."
