Attorney General of Ohio
November 6, 2018 · general election · 2 candidates with a page
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by surname. Ohio rotates the order candidates appear in by precinct, so no order on this page is the order on a ballot.
- Career trial attorney in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Maryland before becoming U.S. Attorney in Ohio.
- Partner at the law firm BakerHostetler, 2006-2009 and 2016-2022, between his service as U.S. Attorney and as ATF Director.
- Member of the Ohio Ethics Commission, 2008-2009, appointed by Governor Ted Strickland.
10 of 11 sections researched · 12 sources
- Worked as a journalist for the Columbus Citizen-Journal before entering government.
- Held staff positions in the administration of Columbus Mayor Dana "Buck" Rinehart and Ohio Governor George Voinovich.
- B.A. in journalism, Ohio State University; J.D., Capital University Law School.
10 of 11 sections researched · 32 sources
Steve Dettelbach
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | researched |
| record | researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
Dave Yost
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | researched |
| claims | researched |
| record | researched |
| money | researched |
| interests | researched |
| polling | researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | none found |
| sources | researched |
The race in pictures
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Field date | Candidate | Share | Poll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2018 | Steve Dettelbach | 42 | Suffolk University, likely voters, margin of error 4.4 points |
| Nov 1, 2018 | Dave Yost | 44 | Gravis Marketing, likely voters |
A note on our coverage
Read before the columns: where one candidate has more entries than another, this says which of the two reasons it is.
Where they stand: Dave Yost has 7 entries and Steve Dettelbach has 2 entries. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Dave Yost's record in office has 11 entries and Steve Dettelbach's has 2. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Sources: Dave Yost has 32 entries and Steve Dettelbach has 10 entries. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Jump to a candidate
- Steve Dettelbach: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
- Dave Yost: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
Where they stand
Their own words, by issue, with the date, the venue and the link. A paraphrase is marked as one.
Abortion
Steve Dettelbach
None found in the records checked
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Defended and had helped implement Ohio's six-week heartbeat abortion ban and pledged to keep defending Ohio's abortion restrictions in court.
Sources: statenews.org · wosu.org
Drug sentencing
Steve Dettelbach
None found in the records checked
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Opposed State Issue 1, the 2018 ballot measure that would have reclassified low-level drug possession as a misdemeanor and prioritized treatment over incarceration.
Source: ballotpedia.org
Education oversight
Steve Dettelbach
None found in the records checked
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Ran on his office's multi-year investigation into Ohio school districts manipulating student-attendance data to inflate state report-card ratings, including a special audit of Columbus City Schools finding "a top-down culture of data manipulation and employee intimidation."
Source: Press Conference: Special Audit Results of Columbus City School District
Government corruption
Steve Dettelbach
None found in the records checked
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Made enforcement against official misconduct central, pointing to his civil racketeering-style lawsuit against FirstEnergy and Larry Householder over the House Bill 6 nuclear and coal bailout, which his office said would save Ohio ratepayers close to $2 billion over the life of the law.
Source: fox19.com
Government fraud
Steve Dettelbach
None found in the records checked
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Launched the "Ohio Stops Fraud" smartphone app, letting the public report suspected fraud in public offices directly from an iPhone, ahead of the 2014 campaign.
Source: Press Conference: Special Audit Results of Columbus City School District
Government waste and fraud
Steve Dettelbach
None found in the records checked
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Positioned himself as an experienced, non-partisan financial watchdog, citing his record as Delaware County Auditor and Prosecutor, and campaigned on rooting out government waste, fraud and mismanagement of taxpayer money.
Source: Dave Yost
Opioid crisis
Steve Dettelbach
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Pledged to combat the opioid crisis through law enforcement, treatment and prevention, and to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable; his campaign said he refused pharmaceutical-industry campaign donations.
Source: ballotpedia.org
Dave Yost
None found in the records checked
Public corruption
Steve Dettelbach
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Announced an anti-corruption plan calling for stiffer penalties for bribery and tougher sanctions for public officials' conflicts of interest.
Source: statenews.org
Dave Yost
Paraphrase of a linked source, not their words:
Pointed to his auditor's-office record referring the ECOT online charter school for criminal investigation as evidence he would aggressively pursue public corruption and fraud as Attorney General.
Source: ballotpedia.org
What they have said, checked
Newest first. Each check is shown in the checker's own rating word, with their name, the date and the link.
Steve Dettelbach
-
ECOT stole millions of dollars from taxpayers
WSYX ABC6 (Columbus) rated this inflated, October 17, 2018 · the check
Dave Yost
-
is actually representing the drug companies that have killed our kids
WSYX ABC6 (Columbus) rated this misleading, October 17, 2018 · the check
Record in office
Dated actions. Any evaluation of an action is printed with the name of whoever made it and the link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Person | Date | Kind | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dettelbach (D) | 2009 | office | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio |
| Dettelbach (D) | 2022-07 | office | Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives |
| Dettelbach (D) | 2013 | action | 2013 (action): As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, his office won the largest prosecution by number of defendants under the Matthew Shepard |
| Dettelbach (D) | 2022-02-01 | action | 2022-02-01 (action): His nomination as ATF Director was supported by a group of more than 140 former federal prosecutors, including more than 30 Republican appoi |
| Yost (R) | 1999 | office | Delaware County Auditor |
| Yost (R) | 2003 | office | Delaware County Prosecutor |
| Yost (R) | 2011 | office | Auditor of State of Ohio |
| Yost (R) | 2019-01 | office | Attorney General of Ohio |
| Yost (R) | 2011-01 | office | Auditor of State of Ohio |
| Yost (R) | 2003 | action | 2003 (action): As Delaware County Prosecutor, won the county's first-ever capital murder case and successfully prosecuted what was described as the largest |
| Yost (R) | 2010-09-03 | statement | 2010-09-03 (statement): His 2010 campaign released a video saying that after Hamilton County's proposed tax increase was voted down, opponent David Pepper "laid off" |
| Yost (R) | 2013-03 | action | 2013-03 (action): Subpoenaed JobsOhio's financial records to audit the roughly $100-228 million a year in liquor profits funding the privatized development ag |
| Yost (R) | 2014-01-28 | action | 2014-01-28 (action): His office's special audit of Columbus City Schools, released January 28, 2014, found a "top-down culture of data manipulation and employee " |
| Yost (R) | 2014-09 | statement | 2014-09 (statement): A Carney campaign TV ad claimed his office spent taxpayer money at a "$7 per cup" rate for roughly 1,000 cups of coffee served at a 2012 fra |
| Yost (R) | 2018 | action | 2018 (action): Accepted at least $29,000 in campaign contributions from ECOT founder Bill Lager and ECOT-affiliated officials while his office had regulato |
| Yost (R) | 2018-05 | action | 2018-05 (action): As Ohio Auditor of State, his office's audit of the online charter school ECOT found it had submitted data inflating student attendance -- o |
| Yost (R) | 2020-08 | action | 2020-08 (action): Negotiated an $808 million settlement with the three largest opioid distributors, Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, structure |
| Yost (R) | 2021-02-19 | action | 2021-02-19 (action): As attorney general, obtained Ohio's $24.7 million share of a $573 million national settlement with consulting firm McKinsey & Co. over its |
| Yost (R) | 2022-07-12 | statement | 2022-07-12 (statement): Before a suspect was arrested, repeatedly and publicly cast doubt on the case of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim who had to travel to Indiana |
| Yost (R) | 2023-02-03 | ruling | 2023-02-03 (ruling): Text messages introduced at the February 2023 federal racketeering trial of Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges indicated Yost privat |
Steve Dettelbach
-
February 1, 2022 · action
His nomination as ATF Director was supported by a group of more than 140 former federal prosecutors, including more than 30 Republican appointees, citing his record as U.S. Attorney. The nomination came four years after the 2018 race.
Source: presidency.ucsb.edu
-
2013 · action
As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, his office won the largest prosecution by number of defendants under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act: 16 people were convicted and sentenced to prison for religiously motivated assaults on Amish community members in the Bergholz beard-cutting attacks, with ringleader Samuel Mullet sentenced to over 12 years.
Source: justice.gov
Dave Yost
-
February 3, 2023 · ruling
Text messages introduced at the February 2023 federal racketeering trial of Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges indicated Yost privately viewed the House Bill 6 bailout as a bad bill but did not publicly oppose it because of financial and political support he had received from FirstEnergy and Borges; Yost had accepted $24,208 from FirstEnergy and Borges and donated that amount to charity in October 2020 after federal HB6 arrests were made.
Source: ohiocapitaljournal.com
-
July 12, 2022 · statement
Before a suspect was arrested, repeatedly and publicly cast doubt on the case of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim who had to travel to Indiana for an abortion because of Ohio's six-week ban; a Columbus man was charged with the rape within about a day of those comments.
Dave Yost, quoted by FOX19:
not a whisper
· the source -
February 19, 2021 · action
As attorney general, obtained Ohio's $24.7 million share of a $573 million national settlement with consulting firm McKinsey & Co. over its role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
Source: irontontribune.com
-
August 2020 · action
Negotiated an $808 million settlement with the three largest opioid distributors, Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen, structured so the companies also paid the state's attorney fees on top of the settlement.
Source: wkyc.com
-
May 2018 · action
As Ohio Auditor of State, his office's audit of the online charter school ECOT found it had submitted data inflating student attendance -- one student was logged with nearly 8,900 instructional hours, more than exist in a year -- and referred the findings to the U.S. Attorney's office and the Franklin County prosecutor for possible criminal charges.
Source: wksu.org
-
2018 · action
Accepted at least $29,000 in campaign contributions from ECOT founder Bill Lager and ECOT-affiliated officials while his office had regulatory and audit responsibility over the school; after his office's May 2018 audit, he donated the ECOT-linked contributions to three Ohio charities.
A Democratic state representative, per the research archive's account of 2017 reporting:
Called for Yost to recuse himself from further ECOT-related audit work
· the sourceSource: wosu.org
-
September 2014 · statement
A Carney campaign TV ad claimed his office spent taxpayer money at a "$7 per cup" rate for roughly 1,000 cups of coffee served at a 2012 fraud-and-waste conference; multiple outlets found the $7,000 figure was Yost's request to the state Controlling Board covering two days of "coffee breaks," not a per-cup price, and that the conference served $3 bottles of soda with the tab covered by registration fees.
Cincinnati CityBeat editorial board, October 29, 2014:
rated false/misleading
· the source -
January 28, 2014 · action
His office's special audit of Columbus City Schools, released January 28, 2014, found a "top-down culture of data manipulation and employee intimidation," including changing failing grades and improperly withdrawing and re-enrolling low-performing students; findings were referred to city, county and federal prosecutors.
Source: Press Conference: Special Audit Results of Columbus City School District
-
March 2013 · action
Subpoenaed JobsOhio's financial records to audit the roughly $100-228 million a year in liquor profits funding the privatized development agency; Kasich and the GOP-controlled General Assembly subsequently passed legislation exempting JobsOhio from future state-auditor review.
Source: National Report Criticizes JobsOhio, Other Privatized Agencies
-
September 3, 2010 · statement
His 2010 campaign released a video saying that after Hamilton County's proposed tax increase was voted down, opponent David Pepper "laid off cops, and closed jails and let criminals run free in the streets," implying Pepper alone was responsible and omitting that the tax was meant to fund public safety.
PolitiFact, September 3, 2010:
Barely True
· the source -
2003 · action
As Delaware County Prosecutor, won the county's first-ever capital murder case and successfully prosecuted what was described as the largest drug-trafficking ring to have operated in the county.
Source: Dave Yost
Money
Totals and donors exactly as filed with the FEC or the Ohio Secretary of State, each figure with its filing link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Steve Dettelbach
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
OhioSOS, as of October 17, 2018: raised .
Source: publicintegrity.org
Top donors, as filed
-
United Food and Commercial Workers locals · $16,700 · PAC · Out of state
Labor union
Source: publicintegrity.org
-
Democratic Attorneys General Association · $12,700 · PAC · Out of state
National political committee
Source: publicintegrity.org
Outside spending
None found in the records checked
In-state share
Not yet researched
Dave Yost
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| From | To | Dollars | Share of total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raised | Spent | 2,285,139.28 | 59.8% | |
| Raised | Not in the filed totals (derived) | 1,535,683.66 | 40.2% | Derived: raised exceeds spent plus cash on hand in this filing; the difference is not itemized in the totals filed. |
Totals as filed
OhioSOS, as of October 17, 2018: raised $3,820,823, spent $2,285,139.
Source: ballotpedia.org
Top donors, as filed
-
American Electric Power PAC · $14,500 · PAC · In state
Electric utility
Source: en.wikipedia.org
-
NiSource Inc. PAC · $5,000 · PAC · In state
Utility holding company
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Outside spending
None found in the records checked
In-state share
Not yet researched
The result
Dave Yost · certified 2018-12
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Yost | 2,276,414 | 52.2% |
| Steve Dettelbach | 2,086,715 | 47.8% |
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: 2018 Ohio Attorney General election · Steve Dettelbach · 2022 Ohio Attorney General election · Dave Yost · 2022 Ohio elections · Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandal · 2014 Ohio State Auditor election · 2010 Ohio State Auditor election
- 2018 Ohio Attorney General election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio Attorney General election, 2018 · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Steven Dettelbach · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Steve Dettelbach · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Democratic AG Candidate Rolls Out Anti-Corruption Plan · Ohio Statehouse News Bureau · 2018-03-29 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Sixteen People Sentenced To Prison For Federal Hate Crimes · U.S. Department of Justice, USAO Northern District of Ohio · accessed 2026-09-19
- ICYMI: Dettelbach Endorsed to Lead ATF by Bipartisan Group of Over 140 Former Federal Prosecutors · The American Presidency Project · accessed 2026-09-19
- Why state attorneys general races are the next frontier for out-of-state influence · Center for Public Integrity · 2018-11-03 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Biden's ATF Nominee Ran For AG In 2018 On Fighting 'Corruption' · Daily Caller News Foundation · 2022-06-08 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Poll: Democrats Lead in Ohio's U.S. Senate and Statewide Races · Suffolk University · accessed 2026-09-19
- https://ethics.ohio.gov/about/memberhistory.html
- Dave Yost · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio Attorney General election, 2022 · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2022 Ohio Attorney General election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Dave Yost · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2022 Ohio elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio Election 2022: Dave Yost and Jeff Crossman run for Ohio Attorney General · The Statehouse News Bureau · 2022-10-19 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Abortion and corruption at forefront of Ohio attorney general race · WOSU Public Media · 2022-10-19 · accessed 2026-09-19
- 'Not a whisper' of evidence to show 10-year-old Ohio rape victim got abortion in Indiana: AG Yost tells FOX News · FOX19 Cincinnati · 2022-07-12 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Some media outlets backtrack as authorities confirm story about 10-year-old rape victim who sought abortion · CNN Business · 2022-07-14 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Corruption trial texts: OH AG Yost didn't speak out against bailout because of utility support · Ohio Capital Journal · 2023-02-03 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Attorney general saves Ohioans nearly $2B over life of HB6 · FOX19/AP · 2021-09-24 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announces $808 million opioid settlement agreement · WKYC · 2020-08 · accessed 2026-09-19
- AG Yost reaches $24.7M settlement with consultant that fueled opioid epidemic · The Ironton Tribune · 2021-02-19 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Dayton-based payday lender continues to bury customers in debt · Ohio Capital Journal · 2022-10-03 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Nursing homes spent at least $6 million on Ohio politics in five years · Ohio Capital Journal · 2021-04-19 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio Auditor Turns ECOT Findings over for Criminal Investigation · WKSU · 2018-05-10 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Dave Yost Wants To Remain Part Of ECOT Case. Is That A Conflict Of Interest? · WOSU Public Media · 2018-05-30 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Boggs calls for Yost's recusal from ECOT probes · The Columbus Dispatch · 2017-07-11 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandal · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio's Attorney General Race All About ECOT And Opioids · WOSU Public Media · 2018-10-31 · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2014 Ohio State Auditor election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- Press Conference: Special Audit Results of Columbus City School District · Ohio Auditor of State · 2014-01-28 · accessed 2026-09-19
- National Report Criticizes JobsOhio, Other Privatized Agencies · Cincinnati CityBeat · 2013-10-23 · accessed 2026-09-19
- CityBeat: No Endorsement for Ohio Auditor · Cincinnati CityBeat · 2014-10-29 · accessed 2026-09-19
- GOP campaign bankroll dwarfs Democrats in Ohio · The Columbus Dispatch · 2014-10-23 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Ohio down ballot state executive elections, 2014 · Ballotpedia · accessed 2026-09-19
- 2010 Ohio State Auditor election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-21
- https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2026-05-25/yost-reflects-on-25-years-in-ohio-politics-and-race-for-governor-that-wasnt-meant-to-be
- Republican Dave Yost attacks Democratic David Pepper on taxes and public safety in race for Ohio auditor · PolitiFact · 2010-09-03 · accessed 2026-09-21
- Fact-checking ads in the race for Ohio attorney general · WSYX ABC6 (Columbus) · 2018-10-17 · accessed 2026-09-19
- Community school enrollment reviews (Ohio Department of Education and Workforce) · Ohio Department of Education and Workforce · accessed 2026-10-15
- Audit search · Ohio Auditor of State · accessed 2026-10-15
- Fact-checking ads in the race for Ohio attorney general · WSYX ABC6 (Columbus) · 2018-10-17 · accessed 2026-09-19
Quick answers
When was the 2018 Attorney General of Ohio election?
The election for Attorney General of Ohio was held on November 6, 2018.
Who ran for Attorney General of Ohio in 2018?
On the ballot for Attorney General of Ohio, in surname order: Steve Dettelbach (Democratic), Dave Yost (Republican).
Who won the 2018 Attorney General of Ohio election?
Dave Yost won the election for Attorney General of Ohio. Results as certified: Steve Dettelbach 47.8%, Dave Yost 52.2%.
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Attorney General of Ohio, 2018", https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/2018/attorney-general/, built 2026-11-03, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-11-03