(The Center Square) – Just months after the last election season ended, the next one is heating up in Ohio.
Nearly two years from the 2026 midterms, candidates have already announced for governor, and another is taking aim at attorney general.
At the same time, reports say Gov. Mike DeWine is closing in on a pick to be the state’s next lieutenant governor, with speculation centering on Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik.
Because of term limits, DeWine can’t run in 2026.
With Attorney General Dave Yost already announced and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy saying he plans to announce soon for the Republican nomination for governor next year, State Auditor Keith Faber says he is running for attorney general.
Republican State Treasurer Robert Sprague and former Morgan County Board of Education President Heather Hill have also announced for the Republican nomination for governor.
Speculation also continues on the next steps for Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who cannot run for reelection because of term limits. He ran and lost to J.D. Vance in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate last year and was considered a potential replacement for Vance when he was elected vice president.
U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, appointed recently to fill the next two years of Vance’s term, had long been considered the frontrunner for governor in 2026. Instead, he’s expected to run in 2026 to fill the rest of Vance’s term.
Former Republican State Sen. Niraj Antani and Democrat Dr. Bryan Hambley have announced they are running for secretary of state.
Only Dr. Amy Acton, the state’s former director of public health, has announced as a Democratic candidate for governor.
News reports have speculated former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who lost to Vance in the race for U.S. Senate, and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost in November to Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, could be candidates in 2026.
