Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said the state’s proposed budget of more than $218 billion over two years is too large.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed two-year budget calls for $108.6 billion in spending in fiscal 2026 and $110.7 billion in fiscal 2027. Based on the initial budget numbers, the state is projected to increase spending by 78.5% between fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2027.
“It’s important to recognize that we only have one governor at a time,” Yost, who is running for governor next year, told Ohio.news when asked about the Buckeye State’s proposed spending plan. “But to answer your question, I don’t think we need that much to be able to run the essential services of government. I think government tends to spend too much and do too much.”
Yost, an Ohio native, began his political career as Delaware County auditor and was later elected as the county’s prosecutor. The 68-year-old Columbus Republican served as Ohio’s state auditor from 2011 until 2018.
He was elected Ohio’s 51st attorney general in 2018 and re-elected to the state’s top law enforcement post in 2022. He is staking out high-profile positions, such as opposing the state’s liquor profits lease extension with JobsOhio.
Dr. Amy Acton, the controversial former state health director during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, is running for the state’s top elected office as a Democrat. Other high-profile Democrats, such as former Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown or former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, could soon enter the race.
While Acton is the only officially declared Democrat running for governor, she will likely need to navigate a crowded Democratic primary to win her first elected office. The Democratic field could include Ohio House of Representatives Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, former Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.
Conversely, Republicans could face an equally treacherous primary. Cincinnati native and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is expected to announce his candidacy as soon as next week.
For his part, Yost doesn’t seem concerned about facing off with the high-profile Ramaswamy.
“I love competition, and the same competition in the marketplace that makes us better, faster, less expensive is the same competition that improves the political marketplace,” Yost added. “He’s a smart guy. I’m going to make him better and smarter. I’m sure he’s going to make me better and smarter.
“And the winners are going to be the people of Ohio who get a better-vetted candidate,” Yost added. “And I believe that guy is going to be Dave Yost, the man with experience, not the guy who gives a speech with a million-dollar smile.”
Yost may be justified in his confidence, even though Ramaswamy may enjoy front-runner status based on his notoriety, particularly for his tenure with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) following President Donald Trump’s November election.
According to a report in the National Review, “a new polling memo from Yost’s gubernatorial campaign team argues that Ramaswamy’s front-runner status is softer than many think and that Trump’s endorsement will be a determinative factor in the primary.” The memo indicates that while Ramaswamy has 46% of likely voters in the GOP primary and Yost has 18%, more than a third (34%) are undecided.
“While Yost enjoys broad support across demographic groups, the Attorney General overperforms among ‘traditional conservative Republicans’ and Evangelical Protestants — two key components of the Republican primary base in Ohio,” National Review quoted NPA partner Justin Clark as writing in a Feb. 18 polling memo. “It should not come as a surprise that Ramaswamy has high name ID, having run on the national stage against President Trump and having worked on the transition team before abandoning the Trump administration to fulfill his own political ambitions.”
