'Not a pretty game': Republican gripes that MAGA infighting left him 'bruised'

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said last week the state’s Republican Party ”made a bad decision” by endorsing Vivek Ramaswamy for governor last month.

“The party exists to win elections, and it’s not a pretty game,” Yost said Friday during a City Club of Cleveland forum. “I’m used to getting bruised by the political process. This was just a little bit bigger bruise that I’m accustomed to.”

The Ohio Republican Party endorsed businessman Vivek Ramaswamy for governor May 9 — a year before the primary. Yost dropped out of the race a week later.

The City Club of Cleveland originally invited Yost, who officially announced he was running for governor back in January, to speak about his platform for governor before he suspended his campaign.

“I did offer to withdraw as speaker, but I guess it was too late to find someone more interesting,” Yost said.

NOTUS reported that Yost asked the Trump administration for an appointment in exchange for suspending his campaign, but ultimately rejected their offer of ambassador to Cyprus.

When asked if this was true during the forum, Yost said, “I think it would be inappropriate to publicly discuss private conversations.”

Michael McIntyre, executive editor of Ideastream Public Media, asked Yost questions during the forum ranging from abortion to Yost’s future.

Yost, who is against abortion, has appealed the decision to strike down the state’s six-week abortion ban that went into effect for several months after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s six-week abortion ban into law in 2019, but it was blocked in court at the time.

When asked if Yost’s goal was to limit abortion, he said, “It is to preserve those matters that are adjacent to abortion that were passed by our duly elected general assembly, whether they fall within the rubric of the amendment of being directly or indirectly impacting or limiting the right to abortion.”

Ohioans voted to protect access to abortion, fertility treatments, contraception, and miscarriage care through a constitutional amendment in 2023, but Ohio Republican lawmakers recently introduced Ohio House Bill 370, which would ban all abortions – regardless of rape or incest. It would also outlaw IVF and IUDs.

“I will decline, as I usually do, to take a public opinion on matters in front of the legislature because I have neither a vote nor a veto,” Yost said when asked about the bill. “If it were to pass, it would be my statutory duty under the law to defend it, regardless of whether I agreed with it or not.”

Yost’s term as state attorney general ends January 2027, and he said he’s still thinking about what he will do next.

“Eventually I will make a decision,” said Yost, who is term-limited. “What I can tell you is I’m not prepared to go quietly down into that good night and hope to remain active in fighting for Ohio and America’s future.”

Two candidates have announced so far they are running for attorney general in 2026 — current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber and former Democratic state rep. Elliot Forhan.

Ohio governor race

Ramaswamy and former Morgan County school board president Heather Hill are currently the only GOP candidates running for governor, but Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel previously said he is considering running.

Former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton is the only Democrat running for governor and will speak at the City Club of Cleveland on Wednesday.

Democrats are waiting to see if former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will run for Senate or Ohio governor, or nothing at all. Currently, gaming and technology businessman Chris Volpe, of Columbus, is the only announced Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026.

Current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is running for attorney general in 2026; current Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state in 2026; and current Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor in 2026.

Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. Former state representative Elliot Forhan has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Ohio Attorney General. No Democrats have yet announced their candidacy in 2026 for Ohio auditor or treasurer.