Jim Tressel says he won’t run for Ohio governor next yearCOLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Jim Tressel, the former Ohio State University football coach who became Ohio’s lieutenant governor earlier this year, announced Friday he will not run for governor. Mike DeWine chose him as his new lieutenant governor earlier this year. Tressel, a Republican, has never run for office and had never stated he had ambitions to do so. “After considerable thought and prayer, we have decided not to run for governor in 2026,” Tressel wrote. Ramaswamy got the Ohio GOP’s early endorsement for governor in April, and now stands alone in the race to be the party’s nominee.