Ohio Governor Candidate Wanted to Save Face With a Trump Appointment. Then He Turned It Down.

Ohio governor candidate Dave Yost was looking for a Trump administration appointment in order to exit the race with dignity. But he wasn’t happy with what the president offered.

Dave Yost
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks during a campaign rally in Middletown, Ohio. Paul Vernon/AP

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.