DeWine appoints Department of Public Safety director as attorney general
Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday appointed the director of the Department of Public Safety as Ohio’s next attorney general, effectively putting him in a caretaker role until voters pick a replacement in November.
Andy Wilson will succeed Attorney General Dave Yost starting in early June and will serve in the role until January 2027, when either Republican Keith Faber, the state’s current auditor, or Democrat John Kulewicz, a city councilor in Upper Arlington, takes office, NBC 4 reported.
“Andy has a very distinguished career,” DeWine said, according to the Columbus television station. “I have great confidence that Andy Wilson will do a great job as the attorney general of the state of Ohio. I base that on my experience in watching him in Clark County, but also frankly on my experience working with him on a daily basis.”
DeWine could have appointed Faber to the post. But, as Statehouse News Bureau reported, that could have led to a “chain reaction,” as he would have had to report a replacement for the auditor’s office, an office Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose is seeking. Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state, and former Republican state Rep. Jay Edwards is seeking the treasurer post.
Wilson said that during his seven months serving as a temporary replacement for Yost, he will “wake up every morning fully dedicated to serving the people of Ohio,” NBC 4 reported.
“I will do my duty,” he said. “It truly is an honor to be here and serve in this position.”
Yost, who will leave office on June 7, supported DeWine’s decision in his statement, writing that it was 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.”
“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,” he said in a statement. “Congratulations to Andy and his family – I wish him the best.”
Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou also praised DeWine’s decision, calling Wilson an “outstanding choice to be the next Ohio Attorney General.”
“@GovMikeDeWine has made public safety a top priority, and naming him to the post of Attorney General only furthers that commitment. He will do a great job until @keithfaber is elected in November,” he wrote on X.
Andy Wilson is an outstanding choice to be the next Ohio Attorney General. @GovMikeDeWine has made public safety a top priority, and naming him to the post of Attorney General only furthers that commitment. He will do a great job until @keithfaber is elected in November.🇺🇸 https://t.co/rRfkobfSMK
— Alex Triantafilou 🇺🇸🐘🇺🇸 (@ChairmanAlex) May 11, 2026
In a post on X, Faber celebrated Wilson getting the temporary job, and Kulewicz said that he hopes Wilson will “focus on the fundamentals of the office.”
DeWine appointed Wilson as director of the Department of Public Safety in December 2022. Before that, Wilson worked as a prosecutor. In 2020, DeWine appointed Wilson as an assistant prosecutor in the Pike County massacre trial, where Wilson prosecuted four defendants.
Yost resigned from his job last week, announcing that he will join Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group, as the vice president of strategic research and innovation.
In his statement, DeWine said that he is “grateful” for Yost’s “long career in public service,” wishing him “the best in his next endeavor.”
“Having served as Ohio Attorney General, I know how important this office is and the great work done by its employees,” DeWine wrote. “I will give the appointment of someone to serve as Attorney General thoughtful and deliberate consideration.”
