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Niraj Antani withdraws from Ohio secretary of state race
The Indian-American former senator now plans to run for State Treasurer.
Niraj Antani / Instagram/ @nirajantani
Former State Senator Niraj Antani, a Republican from Miamisburg, Ohio, has suspended his campaign for Secretary of State in the 2026 election. Antani was the first Indian American member of the Ohio State Senate. He announced his decision on Feb. 12, following State Treasurer Robert Sprague's entry into the race.
Antani stated, "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 that seeks to protect the status quo. I will continue that fight.”
Antani criticized the political maneuvers within the Ohio Republican Party, saying, "It’s no surprise that just a day later last week the current Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who came in last place in the primary in last year’s U.S. Senate race, announced a campaign for State Auditor. The day after that, Secretary LaRose and Treasurer Sprague endorsed each other, finalizing the 3-act play of the week. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a performance worthy of Broadway. These recycled cookie-cutter, copy-paste politicians are playing musical chairs with Ohio's constitutional executive offices. They’ll do whatever it takes to stay in power, no matter the Tammany Hall-style, smoke-filled, backroom behavior that makes Ohioans sick. Ohioans are tired of riding this merry-go-round within the insane asylum carnival of squishy establishment politicians."
Shortly after withdrawing from the Secretary of State race, Antani announced on X that he would run for State Treasurer in 2026.
“I’m incredibly excited to announce I'm running for State Treasurer in 2026!” said Antani on Feb. 12.
I’m incredibly excited to announce I'm running for State Treasurer in 2026!
— Niraj Antani (@NirajAntani) February 12, 2025
The current State Treasurer is term limited and can't run again for re-election. There are no other declared candidates for State Treasurer, we do not expect any statewide official to announce for the… pic.twitter.com/OkANZydVha
He further emphasized his commitment to taxpayers, “I served for over a decade as a State Senator and State representative in the Ohio General Assembly. I saw firsthand how the political establishment and special interests work against the people, squeezing Ohioans of their hard-earned tax dollars to spend them on special pet projects. I always stood with a steel spine against them, and I’ll continue to do so. My family came to America and became American citizens to pursue the American Dream. I’ve always fought to give that same opportunity to achieve the American Dream to every Ohioan, even when the entrenched establishment wanted me to vote another way.”
“If elected as Ohio’s next State Treasurer, I will become the 1st Hindu and Indian American down-ticket statewide officeholder in American history. As well, I’ll be proud to become not only the first Hindu and Indian American elected statewide officeholder in Ohio, but also its 1st Asian American statewide elected officeholder in state history,” highlighted Antani.
Antani's political career began in 2014 when he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives at the age of 23, making him one of the youngest state lawmakers in the country. He served three terms in the House before being elected to the Ohio State Senate in 2020, representing the 6th district, which includes parts of Montgomery County.
As he announced his plans on X, Antani shared he is now preparing for the campaign trail.
“The Republican primary in Ohio will take place in the spring of 2026. Over the next days, weeks, and months, I look forward to traveling to all 88 counties of Ohio and working hard to earn the support of the voters and to win this campaign!”
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