Ohio entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, is poised to announce his bid for Ohio governor imminently, according to a source closely connected to Ramaswamy. The 39-year-old had been encouraged by President-elect Donald Trump to consider taking the place of Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, in the U.S. Senate. Nevertheless, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine selected Lt. Gov. Jon Husted for the position last Friday.
Originally from the Cincinnati area and currently residing in suburban Columbus, Ramaswamy emerged as a late contender for the Senate seat after voluntarily removing himself from consideration two months ago. Trump appointed Ramaswamy to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk.
Sources intimate with Ramaswamy indicate that he envisions himself as an executive and has intentions to vie for the Ohio governorship in 2026. DeWine is ineligible for re-election due to term limits. With the anticipated backing from Trump, Ramaswamy may hold a strategic advantage in a potential GOP primary. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is scheduled to formally declare his gubernatorial candidacy in late February following a surge of support, as confirmed by his spokesperson, Amy Natoce. Husted’s withdrawal from the race eliminates at least one contender from the field.
Former Ohio Department of Health Director, Dr. Amy Acton, recently declared her candidacy for governor as a Democrat. Ramaswamy addressed a post-election gathering organized by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce in Columbus in November.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Harvard and Yale Law School alumnus, where he was a fellow student of Vance, established a pharmaceutical enterprise and a financial management firm. Graduating as valedictorian from St. Xavier High School in 2003, a prestigious private all-boys Jesuit institution near Cincinnati, Ramaswamy boasts a formidable academic background.
During his unsuccessful bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, Ramaswamy advocated for the dissolution of the Department of Education, FBI, and other governmental bodies. His unconventional proposals, including raising the voting age to 25 unless individuals serve in the military or pass a civics examination, garnered attention.
Following a controversial social media post in which he attributed the preference for hiring immigrants by American technology firms to domestic “mediocrity,” Ramaswamy briefly retreated from his typically active online presence this month after Trump’s team advised Cabinet nominees against social media usage without clearance from the incoming White House counsel.
Haley BeMiller and Jessie Balmert, journalists covering state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which encompasses the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal, and 18 other affiliated news outlets statewide, originally reported on Vivek Ramaswamy’s impending gubernatorial candidacy.
This article was first published in the Cincinnati Enquirer: “Vivek Ramaswamy will announce run for
