Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (left) selected Public Safety Director Andy Wilson at the podium to serve as Ohio’s interim attorney general. (Photo: Morgan Trau, WEWS.)
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has selected Public Safety Director Andy Wilson to replace Attorney General Dave Yost, who will step down in June.
“We will lead with energy and passion, and we will serve each other,” Wilson said at a news conference.
Yost announced he would resign, effective June 7, and take a job at Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit law firm.
Wilson has worked closely with DeWine for years.
He participated in violence reduction initiatives and the state’s expedited clemency project. In his current role, he oversees a two-year budget of $2.5 billion.
He previously served as Clark County prosecutor and a member of the Ohio National Guard.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is stepping down to take a job in the private sector at a nonprofit law firm
As a side note, Wilson and DeWine did a study “Undercover Sting Operation” together, sending Wilson’s teenage nephew to buy low-potency marijuana at a grocery store.
When Yost announced his resignation, we interviewed Wilson. The safety director thanked Yost for his years of public service.
“Attorney General Yost has dedicated his entire career to keeping people safe…wish him the best in everything he plans to do,” Wilson said.
Yost congratulated Wilson after the announcement.
“Governor DeWine’s appointment of Andy Wilson is a wise choice that ensures the office’s mission and the tremendous progress we have made over the past seven years remain in good hands,” Yost said in a statement. “As a former district attorney, Andy understands law enforcement and the Office of the Attorney General. As director of the Department of Public Safety, our offices often worked together to keep Ohioans safe.”
Yost has served as Attorney General since 2019. He previously served as state auditor.
His political dreams of being governor were dashed in 2025 when the state GOP endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy. He suspended he began campaigning shortly thereafter and has kept a low profile ever since. Besides Gov. Mike DeWine, he is the only statewide Republican not currently running for office.
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This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and are published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication on other news outlets because it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
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