New York: Former state Sen. Niraj Antani is suspending his campaign for Secretary of State with plans to announce a run for state treasurer Wednesday.
Antani, 33, announced Wednesday he is suspending his campaign for Secretary of State of Ohio for the 2026 election. It comes after current State Treasurer Robert Sprague announced a campaign for Secretary of State, after he suspended his campaign for governor.
"My team and I have taken the last week to evaluate this new dynamic, and unfortunately we see no path forward to victory with Treasurer Sprague in the race. While I am disappointed, I am not deterred. For the last decade, I’ve fought against the entrenched establishment who seek to protect the status quo. I will continue that fight," Antani said in a statement.
Antani now plans to announce a campaign for state treasurer.
Antani was first elected to the Ohio House in 2014, the first Indian-American and Hindu to serve in the chamber. He served six years there and a single four-year term in the Ohio Senate. He opted not to seek re-election after his district was redrawn to favor Democrats.
He ran instead for southern Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District, finishing 10th of 11 primary candidates, with 1.7% of the vote, to Republican and now-U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor. TS
