Ohio elections chief Frank LaRose will run for state auditor in 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Thursday that he is running for state auditor in 2026, continuing the recent game of musical chairs among high-ranking Ohio Republicans.

LaRose is one of the state's highest profile politicians. With term limits preventing him from seeking another term as the state's elections chief, he had sought the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate last year but lost the three-way primary to the GOP's Bernie Moreno. Moreno went on to defeat incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown in November.

''I've always answered the call of duty, and I've had a lot of encouragement from across Ohio to consider serving in this important office,'' LaRose said in a statement first provided to The Associated Press.

In a video posted to X, LaRose said Ohio has set a ''gold standard in trustworthy and accessible elections'' under his watch, and ''now, as your next auditor of state, we can bring that same focus on transparency, efficiency and accountability to every government office in this state.''

LaRose, 45, a former state senator and U.S. Army Green Beret, is the last of Ohio's five term-limited statewide executive officeholders to make his future plans known.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, 78, has signaled he plans to retire when his current term ends at the end of 2026. Attorney General Dave Yost has announced a bid to succeed DeWine and Ohio Auditor Keith Faber has announced a bid to succeed Yost. LaRose is seeking Faber's seat and Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague will run for LaRose's post.

Sprague dropped a bid for governor on Wednesday, saying he would back former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy if he runs. Ramaswamy is expected to launch his campaign sometime this month.