Ramaswamy, 39, kicked off his campaign in Cincinnati, joining the 2026 Republican primary just a month after presumed front-runner and then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted left the running to take a U.S. Senate appointment.
Ramaswamy sought the GOP nomination for president in 2024 before dropping out to back Trump, who later tapped him to co-chair the efficiency initiative with billionaire Elon Musk. A near-billionaire himself, Ramaswamy has promoted his ties to Trump as he lines up key endorsements and donors in the governor's race. The president posted his endorsement of Ramaswamy Monday night on social media.
“I spent most of last year working tirelessly to help send Donald Trump back to the White House because it was a fork in the road,” Ramaswamy said to loud cheers from the crowd. “It was a fork in the road for the future of the country.”
On his Truth Social site, Trump lauded Ramaswamy as “something SPECIAL.”
“He’s Young, Strong, and Smart!” Trump wrote. “Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country. He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
Ramaswamy joins a competitive GOP primary field to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, 78, a veteran center-right politician who is term-limited.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced a bid for the seat in January and Heather Hill, a Black entrepreneur from Appalachia, also is running. Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director who helped lead Ohio through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, is running as a Democrat.
Ramaswamy told the crowd at his campaign launch that he would “end the war on work” by reattaching work requirements to Medicaid and welfare.
He vowed to eliminate income and property taxes, and he promised Ohio would be the first state in the nation to implement merit-based pay for every teacher, principal, superintendent and administrator.
