COLUMBUS —- Gov. Mike DeWine said today he will appoint Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, as the state’s next attorney general, to replace Dave Yost, who is resigning, effective June 7.

DeWine, a Republican, said that Wilson will serve the final seven months of Yost’s unexpired term.

DeWine said: “When I looked at going forward for the next seven months, I wanted someone who has high energy, someone who has real experience in the criminal justice area so Andy Wilson is clearly, in my mind, the right person although we had other very good people to pick from.”

DeWine said he thought of appointing state Auditor Keith Faber, the Republican nominee for attorney general. But because that would have likely required appointing three other Republicans who won last week’s Republican primary for statewide office, DeWine said “that just seemed not the right thing to do.”

DeWine said he supports Faber in the general election, but the move to select him “just didn’t seem right to me” because of the other appointments of statewide officeholders he’d have to make.

Faber said: “Andy Wilson is a solid pick by the governor as interim attorney general. I’m looking forward to spending the next six months continuing my conversation with Ohioans about the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the office if I’m elected in November.”

Wilson said: “During the seven months that I’m in that office, I will wake up every morning fully dedicated to serving the people of Ohio. The people who deserve an attorney general who fights crime, who seeks justice and, again, who wakes up every morning with the focus on keeping them safe.”

Yost, a Republican, announced his resignation Thursday, effective June 7, to become vice president of strategic research and innovation for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian conservative legal advocacy group.

Wilson has been serving in DeWine’s Cabinet as director of the Department of Public Safety since December 2022.

After serving as an armor officer in the Ohio National Guard, Wilson began his career as a trial prosecutor in Clark County in 2002 where he specialized in prosecuting individuals who committed sexual and/or physical violence against children.

In January 2011, Wilson was appointed to serve as the Clark County prosecutor and was later elected to that position for two subsequent terms. During that time, he represented f Ohio on many major criminal cases while also developing several innovative programs including a victim assistance violent crime rapid response team, a prosecutor’s diversion program, and a recording academy program for at-risk youth.

Wilson served as DeWine’s senior adviser for criminal justice policy beginning in January 2019. He was instrumental in assisting with DeWine’s violent crime reduction initiatives, first responder wellness and resiliency initiatives, and law enforcement training and professional development initiatives.

In 2020, DeWine also assigned Wilson to assist the Pike County Prosecutor’s Office in prosecuting four individuals accused of brutally murdering eight members of the Rhoden, Manley, and Gilley families in 2016. In addition to helping to secure guilty pleas from two of the prime suspects in the case, Wilson was also involved in the months-long trial and ultimate conviction of George Wagner IV for his role in the mass murders.

In December 2022, DeWine appointed Wilson director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. As a member of the Governor’s Cabinet, Wilson provides overall leadership and oversees public safety’s 10 divisions, nearly 4,000 employees, and $2.5 billion biannual budget, all dedicated to a mission of safety, service, and protection.

Wilson has an undergraduate degree in political science from Wright State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law. He lives in Springfield with his wife and two daughters.

Wilson will serve as the state’s top legal officer through the end of this year.

Republican Keith Faber and Democrat John Kulewicz are running to become the next attorney general of Ohio in this fall’s general election.