Dave Yost

Last updated

After the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, Ohio Attorney General (R) Dave Yost wrote a letter to the presidents of 14 public, four-year universities in Ohio—including Ohio State University—advising them to "warn" students about an anti-Ku Klux Klan law passed in 1953, which could be used to prosecute students who commit misdemeanors while wearing face coverings (including COVID-19 masks) with felony charges. Yost said: "In our society, there are few more significant career-wreckers than a felony charge... I write to you today to inform your student bodies of an Ohio law that, in the context of some behavior during the recent pro-Palestinian protests, could have that effect". The section of the law he was referring to states that two or more people who commit misdemeanors while wearing masks or disguises is punishable by fourth-degree felony charges, up to $5,000 in fines, and five years on community control. [38]

Ohio legal expert Rob Barnhart noted he’d "never heard of the state’s law being applied previously, even to bank robbers wearing masks". [39] The American Civil Liberties Union denounced Yost, stating with regard to the controversy that "in today’s world of constant surveillance, people protesting should have the right to wear a mask". [39]

2026 Ohio gubernatorial campaign

On January 23, 2025, Yost announced that he would run for governor of Ohio in the 2026 election, seeking to succeed term-limited governor Mike DeWine. [40] In May 2025, after the Ohio Republican Party endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy, Yost withdrew from the race and endorsed Ramaswamy. [41]

Personal life

Yost and his wife Darlene live in Franklin County, Ohio. They have three children and four grandchildren. [42]

Yost and Republican lawmaker Kevin D. Miller were the targets of swatting phone calls in December 2023 after false reports of shootings at their homes were made to the police. [43]

Electoral history

Dave Yost
Dave Yost at Federalist Society 2.jpg
Yost in 2019
51st Attorney General of Ohio
Assumed office
January 14, 2019
Ohio Auditor Republican Primary Election, 2010
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Yost457,82064.88
RepublicanSeth Morgan247,84835.12
Ohio Auditor Election, 2010
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Yost1,882,01050.22
Democratic David Pepper 1,683,33044.91
LibertarianMichael Howard182,5344.87
Ohio Auditor Election, 2014
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Yost (inc.)1,711,92756.98
Democratic John Patrick Carney 1,149,30538.25
LibertarianBob Bridges143,3634.77
Ohio Attorney General Election, 2018
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Yost2,272,44052.16
Democratic Steve Dettelbach 2,084,59347.84
Ohio Attorney General Election, 2022
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanDave Yost2,484,75360.1
Democratic Jeffrey Crossman 1,647,64439.9

References

  1. "Dave Yost". Legistorm. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  2. Tebben, Susan (March 5, 2024). "Clinics ask court to declare Ohio six-week abortion ban unconstitutional after amendment passage • Ohio Capital Journal". Ohio Capital Journal.
  3. 1 2 Blake, Aaron (July 14, 2022). "What Ohio abortion law says about a 10-year-old rape victim". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022.
  4. "StackPath". fedsoc.org. Federalist Society . Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  5. "About". Dave Yost. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  6. "Editorial: For Ohio attorney general: Dave Yost is the better choice". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  7. "Ohio Auditor Dave Yost Lincoln Day Dinner Speaker in Cambridge". Daily Jeffersonian . Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  8. Naymik, Mark (January 25, 2010). "Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost leaves Ohio attorney general race for auditor's race". Cleveland Plain Dealer.
  9. "Republican David Yost defeats Pepper for Ohio auditor". Toledoblade.com. Toledo Blade. March 11, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  10. Gomez, Henry J. (January 24, 2017). "Ohio Auditor Dave Yost launches attorney general bid". Cleveland.com.
  11. 1 2 Bischoff, Laura A. (October 10, 2022). "Election 2022: Jeff Crossman, Dave Yost face off for Ohio attorney general". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  12. Bischoff, Laura A. (November 8, 2022). "Republican Dave Yost wins Ohio attorney general race". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  13. "Ohio's six-week abortion ban becomes law hours after Supreme Court's Dobbs decision". Dispatch.com.
  14. "Ohio AG says 'heartbeat bill' is now law". News5cleveland.com. June 24, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  15. Hancock, Laura (June 27, 2022). "Ohio GOP Attorney General's son, daughter-in-law publicly split with Dave Yost on abortion rights". Cleveland.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  16. Rudavsky, Shari; Fradette, Rachel (July 1, 2022). "Patients head to Indiana for abortion services as other states restrict care". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  17. ""She's 10": Child rape victim's abortion denial sparks outrage on Twitter". Newsweek. July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  18. Glenn Kessler (July 9, 2022). "A one-source story about a 10-year-old and an abortion goes viral". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409.
  19. Mariana Alfaro (July 9, 2022) [2022-07-08]. "Biden decries case of 10-year-old rape victim forced to travel for abortion". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409.[ please check these dates ]
  20. Richardson, Valerie (July 11, 2022). "Ohio AG casts doubt on report of 10-year-old rape victim seeking abortion". The Washington Times.
  21. Timothy Bella (July 13, 2022) [2022-07-13]. "Man charged in rape of 10-year-old girl who had to travel for abortion". The Washington Post . Washington, D.C. ISSN   0190-8286. OCLC   1330888409. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022.
  22. "The Ohio Attorney General's Office issued the following legal explainer regarding exemptions to Ohio's Heartbeat Law". Twitter.com. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  23. Staver, Anna; BeMiller (July 14, 2022). "Do 10-year-olds meet 'life of mother' abortion exemptions? Ohio lawmakers, doctors divided". The Columbus Dispatch .
  24. Bischoff, Laura (July 19, 2022). "Ohio AG Dave Yost should resign over comments about 10-year-old rape victim, Democrats say". The Columbus Dispatch .
  25. "GOP-led states back Trump's legal drive to challenge election". POLITICO. November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  26. Richardson, Seth A. (November 10, 2020). "Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost signs off on Trump lawsuit that Pennsylvania should invalidate some votes: Capitol Letter". Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  27. Pelzer, Jeremy; clevel; .com (December 10, 2020). "Ohio AG Dave Yost files brief criticizing Texas' lawsuit challenging Biden win". cleveland. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  28. "After Alabama pioneers nitrogen gas execution, Ohio may be poised to follow". AP News. January 30, 2024.
  29. "States Where the Death Penalty Has Stalled Look to Alabama". The New York Times . January 30, 2024.
  30. "After Alabama execution, Ohio Republicans push to allow nitrogen gas for death penalty". USA Today. January 30, 2024.
  31. "Ohio Attorney General Yost sues Norfolk Southern over East Palestine train derailment". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  32. "Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sues Norfolk Southern over all the damage from the derailment: Today in Ohio". MSN. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  33. Ingles, Jo (September 18, 2019). "Ohio Lawmakers Support Yost in Investigation of Facebook and Google". Wksu.org. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  34. "State Attorneys General Want To Know If Facebook And Google Are Too Big". NPR.org. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  35. BeMiller, Haley (February 2, 2024). "Advocates sue Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost after he rejected voting rights proposal". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  36. Smyth, Julie Carr (February 2, 2024). "Ohio Attorney General given until Monday to explain rejection of voting rights amendment to court". Columbus, Ohio: Associated Press . Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  37. "Ohio GOP leaders reject Democrats' plan to get President Joe Biden on November ballot". USA TODAY. 2024.
  38. "Ohio lawmakers propose campus mask ban after pro-Palestinian protests". Associated Press. May 22, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  39. 1 2 Maass, Dave (May 22, 2024). "States Dust Off Obscure Anti-Mask Laws to Target Pro-Palestine Protesters". ACLU. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  40. Vakil, Caroline (January 23, 2025). "Ohio AG Dave Yost launches bid for governor". The Hill . Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  41. Jordan, Felicia (May 16, 2025). "'I am simply not that important' | AG Dave Yost suspends his campaign to be Ohio's governor". WCPO-TV. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  42. "Dave Yost - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost". Ohio Attorney General . Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  43. Jordan, Felicia (December 29, 2023). "'Swatting' call reporting shooting draws police to homes of Ohio lawmaker, AG Dave Yost". WCPO 9 Cincinnati . Retrieved December 30, 2023.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Auditor of Ohio
2010, 2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Republican nominee for Attorney General of Ohio
2018, 2022
Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Auditor of Ohio
2011–2019
Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Ohio
2019–present
Incumbent