Dave Yost
2019 - Present
2027
6
Dave Yost (Republican Party) is the Attorney General of Ohio. He assumed office on January 14, 2019. His current term ends on January 11, 2027.
Yost (Republican Party) is running for election for Governor of Ohio. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
Prior to his election as attorney general, Yost served as Ohio's 32nd state auditor from 2011 to 2019. Yost was first elected as state auditor in 2010 and won re-election in 2014.[1] He was prevented from running for re-election in 2018 due to term limits.
Yost was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Ohio. He was one of 66 delegates from Ohio pledged to support John Kasich at the convention. Kasich suspended his campaign on May 4, 2016. At the time, he had approximately 156 bound delegates. The winner of the Republican nomination needed the support of 1,237 delegates.
Biography
Dave Yost was born in Ohio. Yost earned a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University in 1984 and a J.D. from Capital University in 1991.[2]
Yost began his career as a journalist with the Columbus Citizen-Journal. He went on to serve in senior positions with the administrations of Columbus Mayor Buck Rinehart and Ohio Governor George Voinovich.
After earning his law degree in 1991, Yost became an attorney in private practice. In 1999, he was appointed as Delaware County Auditor and elected to the position in 2000. Yost became Prosecuting Attorney for Delaware County in 2003, serving in the position until 2010.[3][4]
Political career
Attorney General of Ohio (2019-present)
Yost was elected attorney general of Ohio on November 6, 2018. He assumed the office on January 14, 2019.
Ohio Auditor of State (2011-2019)
Yost was the 32nd Ohio state auditor, serving from January 2011 to January 2019. He won re-election in November 2014.[3]
School audits
In January 2014, it was reported that there were 11 public entities considered under Ohio law to be “unauditable,” which included two community schools and several townships throughout the years between 2010 and 2013. Yost’s chief deputy officer, Bob Hinkle, spearheaded an audit of the two school districts.[5] One school, Greater Heights Academy had four years of unauditable books from 2006 through 2009. Four individuals associated with the school were indicted in November 2013 for wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to launder money for defrauding the school of more than $400,000. Another school, Lion of Judah, had its principal indicted in February 2013 for illegally funneling $1.2 million of public funds to a private business run by the principal, while the school’s former treasurer received a prison term of 2 years for the theft of federal education funds.[5] Hinkle said in January 2014 that both schools were closed. Hinkle also supported reform. "If their office is declared unauditable, hopefully the next time they stand for election, they won’t be re-elected or put back into office," he said in an interview. "And if they’re appointed, my hope would be that the board that governs their activity would put people in place who can do what they need to do."[5]
JobsOhio
In 2011, the Ohio State Legislature passed legislation creating JobsOhio, a private nonprofit economic development firm tasked with attracting businesses to the state. A major source of funding for the firm is the $100 million in profits that come from the state's liquor operations. Prior to the creation of JobsOhio, those profits went to the state's general fund. The legislation creating the organization allows for a yearly audit by a private auditor, but controversy arose as the $100 million was previously public money.[6]
In March 2013, Yost, arguing he had the authority to audit the money, subpoenaed the company's records. In response, Gov. John Kasich (R) and the legislature rushed through legislation that stated the liquor money is legally private money and does not fall under a public audit. Yost, who said he would not have supported the original legislation, sent lawmakers a letter on March 19, stating, “I urge you to tread cautiously. While there have been no indications of misdealing, the potential for self-dealing or other mischief exists sometime in the future. This office’s audit will help protect against the real possibility of human failings."[7]
The issue of the private/public status of JobsOhio was before the state Supreme Court. Lawyers on both sides of the suit addressed the court on November 6, 2013.[8] A bipartisan group made up of Democratic lawmakers, progressive activists and conservative lawyers sought to have the money publicly audited, arguing that it was unconstitutional for public money to be invested in private companies without public oversight. The state, meanwhile, argued that the plaintiffs do not have standing to sue.[9]
On June 10, 2014, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state in a 5-2 decision. The ruling stated that the activists who brought the lawsuit against JobsOhio did not have standing and lacked a "personal stake" in the case.[10]
Delaware County Auditor (1999-2003)
Yost served as auditor of Delaware County from 1999 to 2003.[4]
Elections
2026
See also: Ohio gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Governor of Ohio
Amy Acton, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Dave Yost are running in the general election for Governor of Ohio on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Amy Acton (D) | ||
| Vivek Ramaswamy (R) | ||
| Dave Yost (R) | ||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robert Sprague (R)
Endorsements
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2022
See also: Ohio Attorney General election, 2022
General election
General election for Attorney General of Ohio
Incumbent Dave Yost defeated Jeff Crossman in the general election for Attorney General of Ohio on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dave Yost (R) | 60.1 | 2,484,753 | |
| Jeff Crossman (D) | 39.9 | 1,647,644 | ||
| Total votes: 4,132,397 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Ohio
Jeff Crossman advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Ohio on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jeff Crossman | 100.0 | 433,014 | |
| Total votes: 433,014 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Ohio
Incumbent Dave Yost advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Ohio on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dave Yost | 100.0 | 870,124 | |
| Total votes: 870,124 | ||||
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Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for Attorney General of Ohio
Dave Yost defeated Steven Dettelbach in the general election for Attorney General of Ohio on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dave Yost (R) | 52.2 | 2,272,440 | |
| Steven Dettelbach (D) | 47.8 | 2,084,593 | ||
| Total votes: 4,357,033 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Ohio
Steven Dettelbach advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Ohio on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Steven Dettelbach | 100.0 | 510,741 | |
| Total votes: 510,741 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Ohio
Dave Yost advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Ohio on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Dave Yost | 100.0 | 642,717 | |
| Total votes: 642,717 | ||||
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2014
| Ohio Auditor, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Dave Yost Incumbent |
57% | 1,711,927 | |
| Democratic | John Patrick Carney | 38.3% | 1,149,305 | |
| Libertarian | Bob Bridges | 4.8% | 143,363 | |
| Total Votes | 3,004,595 | |||
| Election results via Ohio Secretary of State | ||||
2010
| Ohio Auditor of State, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Dave Yost |
50.2% | 1,882,010 | |
| Democratic | David Pepper | 44.9% | 1,683,330 | |
| Libertarian | L. Michael Howard | 4.9% | 182,534 | |
| Total Votes | 3,747,874 | |||
| Election results via Ohio Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
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2022
Dave Yost completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Yost's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
During my life, I've been a prosecutor and a musician, an auditor and a writer, a husband and a dad and a grandad. I've practiced law in the private sector and had to make a payroll.
The rule of law means the same rules for everybody, rich and poor, foolish or wise. I've been in court to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, to hold accountable corrupt politicians and corrupt corporations. I've prosecuted murderers and rapists and child molesters. I've pushed back in court against Washington when politicians there tried to exercise power that they did not have – and won.
As Ohio Auditor of State (2011-2019), my public corruption investigations resulted in more than 170 criminal convictions of officials from both political parties, and identified more than $260 million in potential taxpayer savings.
- Protecting the unprotected
- Upholding the rule of law
- Defending the Constitution
My team has made Ohio a national leader in the fight against human trafficking, re-imagining a law enforcement focus on the buyers rather than the sellers of sex, who are often survivors of trafficking. We've worked to update Ohio's laws and create new legal tools to that end.
Maybe the most important role of the attorney general for law enforcement is to support law enforcement publicly and vocally. When an individual officer goes off the rails, the officer should be held accountable. But the attorney general should regularly and vocally speak up for the men and women who protect us honorably and professionally at the risk of physical harm or death.
But just as a parent might say that their most important responsibility is to love their children, an attorney general's most important job is to advocate for and protect Ohio and the rule of law. A myriad of actions is contained in those words.
But the federal government has only the powers it was given by the states; all other powers remain with the states, or the people. It is the attorney general's job to use the courts to keep the federal government in its own lane. My client is the people of Ohio.
To that end, I ask three questions of each case:
1. Was there a clear violation of the Constitution or federal law?
2. Was harm done to Ohioans? Is there anything to be gained from adding Ohio’s name to the suit?
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2018
Campaign website
Yost's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Protecting Ohioans
Saving Your Tax Dollars
Fighting for our Children
|
” |
| —Dave Yost for Ohio[12] | ||
Campaign advertisements
The following is an example of an ad from Yost's 2018 election campaign.
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Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Ballot measure activity
The following table details Yost's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Dave Yost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative (2023) | 2023 | Opposed[13] | |
| Ohio Issue 1, Determining Bail Amount Based on Public Safety Amendment (2022) | 2022 | Supported[14] | |
| Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure (2023) | 2023 | Supported[15] | |
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Officeholder Attorney General of Ohio |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ New York Times, "Election 2014 – Ohio," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 4, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ohio Auditor of State, "Dave Yost," accessed January 29, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Project Vote Smart, "Dave Yost's Biography," accessed Oct. 4, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 WatchDog.org, "11 Ohio entities now ‘unauditable,’ but face few ramifications for financial messes," January 8, 2014
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Senate follows House in quickly passing bill to block public audit of JobsOhio," May 31, 2013
- ↑ Governing, "The Strange Case of JobsOhio and Public Auditing of Private Firms," June 10, 2013
- ↑ Chron, High court sets arguments in JobsOhio challenge, August 22, 2013
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Ohio Supreme Court agrees to hear JobsOhio case," January 23, 2013
- ↑ Cleveland.com, "Liberal group's challenge to JobsOhio rejected by Ohio Supreme Court," June 10, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Dave Yost for Attorney General, "Dave's Work," accessed October 2, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "Tony Perkins," November 6, 2023
- ↑ Ideastream.org, "Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost calls for constitutional amendment to allow for higher bail," March 29, 2022
- ↑ Mailchimp, "Yes on Issue 1," accessed December 21, 2023
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Michael DeWine (R) |
Attorney General of Ohio 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Ohio Auditor of State 2011-2019 |
Succeeded by Keith Faber (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney 2003-2010 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Delaware County Auditor 1999-2003 |
Succeeded by - |
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State of Ohio Columbus (capital) |
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