COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel is still considering a run for governor, saying that the state GOP's endorsement of Vivek Ramaswamy won't affect his decision.
The night before the Ohio Republican Party Central Committee was set to endorse a candidate for the 2026 gubernatorial primary, Tressel said that he was interested in a possible run to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine. Because he commented so late, he wasn't considered during the meeting as a candidate.
Strategists have been pushing the former OSU coach to jump into the race, but he hasn't given a firm answer on what he plans to do.
"Why did you decide to say that you were considering [a run] the night before the endorsement for the GOP and also, do you think that endorsement would impact your getting into the race?" I asked Tressel.
"Well, I don't think an endorsement would impact, at least in my opinion, whether I would be interested in getting in the race or not," he responded.
He said that wherever he goes, he has been getting "so many questions," so he decided to say something.
In a meeting in Columbus on May 9, the GOP voted 60-3 in favor of Cincinnati entrepreneur Ramaswamy over Attorney General Dave Yost.
"The beginning of a broader path to greatness for Ohio and greatness for the United States of America," Ramaswamy told reporters after the vote.
In an email to supporters Friday, Yost suspended his campaign, saying that although he has worked to better Ohio for years, this is "not a time for a family squabble."
RELATED: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost suspends campaign for governor
When asked his thoughts about infighting for the primary nomination, Tressel explained that he isn't experienced enough to have an opinion about "squabbles" or what "the party needs," but that he is going around the state and speaking at dinners with "enthusiasts."
"They're thinking about this whole election cycle and their excitement and so forth, but I don't really know about whether the family squabble gobble thing," he said. "Every voter deserves a chance to decide what they'd like to vote for."
DeWine agrees with this sentiment — and wouldn’t comment on whether he thought Ramaswamy would be a good governor. He even tried to push back the committee meeting.
"This is much too early to have an endorsement," the governor said. "It's a year out from the primary."
I asked Tressel what his top three priorities would be as governor. After saying I stumped him, he proceeded to explain he wants to focus on the livelihood of Ohioans — similar to DeWine.
"I always hear [DeWine] talk about safety, that he wants every person to feel safe and be safe," he responded. "I've heard him talk every day about wanting every Ohioan to reach their God-given potential, and to me, those sound like non-negotiables. You better do darn well at those."
He emphasized that he is an "education buff" as well. Also, he wants to make sure that veterans are supported.
He spoke to reporters following an event honoring fallen soldiers.
"Education is a big deal to me, and tradition, like we had today, and remembering sacrifice, being grateful, to me, might be number one," he said.
Tressel didn't have an answer on when he would, if he does, officially announce.
After the endorsement vote, Ramaswamy didn't answer a question about Tressel possibly joining the race. But he did say he is hopeful of bringing the party together.
"Not just unite the Republicans of Ohio, but to unite the Ohioans across the state," the businessman said.
On Wednesday, I reached out to Ramaswamy's team, but they declined to comment.
The team did provide the contact information for Ohio GOP Committee Member Shannon Burns, of Strongsville, to speak on the possible Tressel run.
"Jim Tressel is a respected Ohioan with a winning football legacy, but this race isn’t about nostalgia—it’s about the future of our movement and the direction of our state," Burns told me.
Both the state party and former President Donald Trump are supporting Ramaswamy, saying this unity leaves no financial or political path for another candidate, he added.
"As a State Central Committee member, I’ve seen how powerful and decisive our endorsement is. The grassroots, the Party, and our President have made their choice," he continued. "It’s disappointing for our sitting Lieutenant Governor to ignore that reality and fail to offer a compelling vision to the voters."
Multiple statewide leaders have endorsed Ramaswamy already, including Senate President Rob McColley. But when I asked House Speaker Matt Huffman who he leaned more towards, the businessman or Tressel, he said he is focusing on his own chamber and the budget. Important to note, the budget is already out of the House and is being amended in the Senate currently.
"If I start talking about this person or that person, it may cause some folks to think about other things and how do we get our work done here?" Huffman responded. "I'll probably talk about that, sometime in mid to late July — to the extent that anybody cares at that point what my opinion is."
Watch below why that endorsement carries weight:
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