On Thursday, May 8th, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel announced that he has changed his mind and is considering a run for Governor of the Buckeye State. In February, Tressel stated to NBC News that he was not thinking about making a run for Governor; however, the unprecedented urgency the Ohio Republican Party demonstrated in rushing their endorsement of Ohio entrepreneur and right-wing superstar, Vivek Ramaswamy, may have provoked Tressel into thinking about it. His last-minute announcement was not enough to derail the Ramaswamy endorsement, the vote being confirmed the following day, May 9th.
There is little doubt where the other candidates for Ohio Governor stand on a wide array of topics. Ramaswamy is a “small government” conservative. Amy Acton is a “big government” liberal. Current Attorney General Yost is a traditional Republican with conservative leanings.
But Tressel has taken almost no public positions on any policy. Remarkably, someone sitting in the office he holds is such a political mystery. Perhaps he is a conservative, after all he did appear with Bernie Moreno during his run for US Senate. Or maybe he is a moderately liberal Republican. After all, he was appointed to the position by Governor Mike DeWine. It would be helpful to look at and consider previous statements he has made of a political nature, but there aren't any.
Of course, it would have been impossible for someone as politically private as Tressel to ascend to the office of Lt. Governor of Ohio apart from an appointment. Voters typically want to know where each candidate stands on the big issues when evaluating who they intend to support. So if Lt. Governor Tressel continues to think about running for Governor and then decides to go for it, he will be forced to do something he has spent his entire career avoiding, and that is publicly talking politics.
Ohio.news will continue covering the 2026 race for Governor and will be quick to report on any policy disclosures Lt. Governor Tressel makes.
