When Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s poll numbers started plummeting in the Ohio governor’s race earlier this year, he started looking for an offramp.
President Donald Trump had endorsed Yost’s main primary opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, and according to internal polling from the Ramaswamy campaign, the former presidential candidate held a commanding 60-point lead in the governor’s race. Yost began telling people he was considering dropping out, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
However, these sources said Yost didn’t just want to drop out; he wanted an appointment in the Trump administration that would allow him to save face as he ended his gubernatorial bid.