Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel announced on X Friday afternoon that after much "considerable thought and prayer," he won't be part of the 2026 race for governor in the Buckeye State.

"It has been an extraordinary honor of a lifetime for Ellen and me to serve alongside Governor Mike Dewine and First Lady Fran DeWine," Tressel wrote in the post. "After considerable thought and prayer, we have decided not to run for Governor in 2026."

Tressel said he will focus the remainder of his term on giving his full attention to education and workforce issues in Ohio.

Read his full statement below:

Tressel's decision opens up a more straightforward path through the GOP primary for Vivek Ramaswamy, who clinched the Ohio party leadership's nomination for governor in May.

As things stand, he's on track t

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