Attorney General Yost jumps into the Governor’s Race
Plus, Jane Timken gets long-coveted Senate appointment, kind of.
Ohio Attorney General DAVE YOST formally launched his campaign for Governor yesterday, after running a shadow campaign beginning roughly fourteen seconds after the conclusion of the 2022 election. This makes him the first major candidate to throw his hat in the ring, although state treasurer ROBERT SPRAGUE filed his paperwork to transfer his campaign committee from “Treasurer“ to “Governor”, and businessman-turned-politico VIVEK RAMASWAMY has left President DONALD TRUMP’s Department of Government Efficiency to run for our state’s CEO.
It’s notable that rumors had Yost declaring in February, but something must’ve changed his mind. At least we had a couple weeks without campaign ads here in Ohio.
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Timken wins Senate appointment.. (no, not that one.)
Former Ohio GOP Chairwoman-turned-U.S. Senate hopeful JANE TIMKEN has been announced as the heir to the Ohio State Senate seat held by Senator KIRK SCHURING, who passed away at the end of November. Timken currently serves on the governing body of the national and state Republican Party, as Ohio’s delegate to the Republican National Committee and the 29th Senate seat’s representation to the Ohio Republican committee.
Prior to the RNC and after the ORP, Timken ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Senate seat formerly held by ROB PORTMAN. With Portman’s endorsement, and $8.7 million spent, she couldn’t overcome the Trump effect. She placed fifth in a seven-man primary receiving 5.87% of the vote.
Timken was seen as a potential replacement for now-U.S. Senator JON HUSTED in the Lieutenant Governors office, but that seems unlikely at this given moment.
Who will replace Husted?
As Senator Jon Husted begins his abbreviated term, filling the vacancy of Vice President JD VANCE, his office in Columbus as right-hand-man to Governor MIKE DeWINE sits vacant. It is the duty of the Governor to appoint the replacement, and the State Senate has the duty to approve that replacement.
MY ANALYSIS? DeWine doesn’t want to create another heir-apparent to the Governor’s seat. He has two years left in government (unless he decides to make a for President at 82-years-old) and I have to assume that he has no interest in making the end of his very long government career any harder than it needs to be. A member of his cabinet with little ambition to run for anything higher, and to serve as Governor only if necessary due to a medical emergency, seems the most likely.
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This has been the JANUARY 24, 2025 edition of The Buckeye Beacon, your bite-size Ohio political newsletter covering what’s impacting you.
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