(The Center Square) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday named Andy Wilson, a former prosecutor and currently the state’s director of public safety as the state’s new attorney general.
It will be a short-term position for Wilson.
Wilson will replace Dave Yost who resigned last week to take a position with a non-profit group, Alliance Defending Freedom. Yost was not eligible to seek a third term under Ohio’s term-limit laws.
Two candidates are on the November ballot for attorney general, State Auditor Keith Faber, a Republican, and Columbus attorney John Kulewicz, a Democrat.
Wilson will not be on the ballot but will serve out the remainder of Yost’s second term.
“I know from experience how important the office of the Ohio Attorney General is,” DeWine, Ohio’s AG from 2011-2019, said in a statement. “I have great confidence that Andy Wilson will do a great job as the attorney general for the state of Ohio. I base this on watching him as a former Clark County prosecuting attorney and working with him on a daily basis as the director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.”
Wilson was appointed Clark County prosecutor in 2011 and elected to the position for two terms.
“During that time, he represented the state of Ohio on many major criminal cases while also developing several innovative programs including a victim assistance violent crime rapid response team, a prosecutor’s diversion program, and a recording academy program for at-risk youth,” his state biography says.
On Monday, Yost praised the appointment of Wilson.
“Gov. DeWine’s appointment of Andy Wilson is a wise selection to ensure that the mission of the office and the great progress we’ve made in the past seven-plus years remains in steady hands,” Yost said. “As a former county prosecuting attorney, Andy understands law enforcement and the attorney general’s Office. As director of the Department of Public Safety, our offices have frequently collaborated to keep Ohioans safe.”
