Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is expected to resign eight months before the end of his term, capping a 25-year political run in the Buckeye State.
Yost, who cannot seek reelection, saw his 2026 bid for governor stall after biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy entered the race with backing from President Donald Trump and an early endorsement from the Ohio Republican Party. Ramaswamy secured a spot in the November general election following Tuesday’s primary.
News of Yost’s expected resignation was first reported by The Columbus Dispatch.
Yost’s career stretches back to 1999, when he was elected Delaware County auditor. He later served as county prosecutor after a 2003 appointment and won statewide office as Ohio auditor in 2010. Before that victory, he mounted an unsuccessful run for attorney general against current Gov. Mike DeWine.
He ultimately won the attorney general’s office in 2018, becoming Ohio’s top law enforcement official. His recent gubernatorial bid would have positioned him to succeed DeWine, who is term-limited.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost
With Yost stepping aside, DeWine will appoint an interim replacement. Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is already running for attorney general in November, while Secretary of State Frank LaRose is seeking Faber’s current post. Treasurer Robert Sprague won the GOP primary for secretary of state this week, and Jay Edwards captured the nomination to replace Sprague as treasurer.
Yost drew national attention in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal abortion protections. He moved quickly to declare Ohio’s “heartbeat bill” in effect, banning most abortions after roughly six weeks.
On election issues, Yost took a mixed approach. He backed a legal brief supporting Trump’s effort to challenge Pennsylvania ballots in the 2020 presidential election. But he later opposed a separate lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to block certification of Joe Biden as president-elect.
Yost also made headlines in 2024 when he declined to grant provisional approval for Biden to appear on Ohio’s general election ballot as the Democratic nominee. State lawmakers later reversed that decision.
Closer to home, Yost aggressively pursued fallout from the East Palestine train disaster. His office filed a sweeping civil case against Norfolk Southern seeking damages tied to cleanup and environmental harm. He also targeted an alleged sham charity, suing Mike Peppel and the “Ohio Clean Water Fund” for raising more than $141,000 under the guise of helping East Palestine residents. A court ordered the group to return more than $131,000 to donors.
