Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Suspends Campaign

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, has suspended his campaign for governor.

Yost’s announcement follows Vivek Ramaswamy gaining endorsements from President Trump and the Ohio GOP.

Just in: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has suspends his campaign for Governor of Ohio

This comes after President Trump and the Ohio GOP endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor

Dave Yost said: “This is a time to protect Ohio, not a time for a family squabble.” pic.twitter.com/mNXqVI42qd

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) May 16, 2025

The Hill reports:

Yost said in an email to his supporters Friday that he made the decision because it became clear that “a steep climb to the nomination for governor has become a vertical cliff.” He said public service is the reason he joined the race and is why he’s choosing to leave it.

“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,” he said. “I am simply not that important.”

Yost’s decision came after he said he would consult with his supporters about the “path forward” following the Ohio GOP’s endorsement of Ramaswamy. The former presidential candidate and entrepreneur quickly became a front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor, also winning endorsements from President Trump and Elon Musk.

Early polling had shown Ramaswamy with a large lead.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost suspends Ohio governor’s bid after state GOP backs Vivek Ramaswamy https://t.co/cL30gLg3Qd

— The Hill (@thehill) May 16, 2025

“One week ago today, the Ohio Republican Party joined President Trump in proudly and overwhelmingly endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor of Ohio. Vivek’s energy and commitment to Ohio offer a compelling path forward, and he represents our future,” Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou said.

Statement from Chairman Alex M. Triantafilou on Attorney General Yost’s decision to suspend his campaign. @ChairmanAlex pic.twitter.com/yJweZQBg95

— Ohio Republican Party (@ohiogop) May 16, 2025

From the Ohio Capital Journal:

Yost said the state “has challenges ahead” and Columbus “needs re-engineering, not demolition.” He warned of a “comeback attempt” by former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown that could “unwind all of the good that the last 15 years of Republican leadership has brought.”

“This is a time to protect Ohio, not a time for a family squabble,” Yost wrote.

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Brown has not formally announced any bid for elected office, but former Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton has already thrown her hat in the ring to vie for the governor’s seat as a Democrat.

Yost, whose term as state attorney general runs until Jan. 2027, plans to “continue to fight for Ohio and Ohioans” for the rest of his tenure, but “I suspect that this is not my final chapter,” he told supporters.

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