Attorney General Dave Yost, who’s talked for months about running for governor, announced his intentions to seek the office next year.

Yost, a Republican, said today: “After receiving a groundswell of support from voters across the state and much prayer and consultation, I am answering the call to duty. I will be faithful. I will not falter and I will not fail.”

The Republican field for governor in 2026 is expected to be crowded. In addition to Yost, Treasurer Robert Sprague filed a designation of treasurer last week to run for governor and Vivek Ramaswamy, a wealthy venture capitalist who recently resigned as co-chairman of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, is expected to announce his candidacy next week.

Incumbent Mike DeWine, a Republican, cannot run for reelection next year.

Dr. Amy Acton, who rose to prominence as DeWine’s health director during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and a Youngstown native, said she will run as a Democrat for governor. A Democrat hasn’t won a statewide executive branch office in Ohio since 2008.

Yost, who is serving his second four-year term as attorney general after two terms as state auditor, called himself a “principled conservative and a strong advocate for Ohio’s families, businesses and taxpayers.”

Yost’s gubernatorial announcement described him as “an America first attorney general, supporting President Trump’s agenda at the state level. He has devoted his career to protecting individual liberties, fighting against partisan lawfare and creating a stable environment for economic growth.”

Yost said: “This is my heart, my home. I work for the people of Ohio and I love my bosses. From the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed at night, I’m thinking about them and our future.”