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Biotech businessman and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is ready to officially join the 2026 Ohio governor’s race. His planned announcement in Cincinnati follows only a month after resigning from President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and weeks following former Lt. Governor Jon Husted dropped out of the race to take a U.S. Senate appointment.
Ramaswamy, 39, a close-to-billionaire biotech investor, has never run for office but is relying on his outsider status and strong connections to the Trump movement to send him to the governor’s mansion. The attempt follows JD Vance’s path to the U.S. Senate in 2022 and Bernie Moreno’s 2024 victory, both of whom rode Trump’s endorsement into office in Ohio.
But Ramaswamy is taking a different approach, while Vance and Moreno ran for federal offices, he is applying the same strategy at the state level, where governors are typically experienced politicians.
Who are in Governor’s race?
Ramaswamy will face competition in the Republican primary from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who announced his candidacy in January, and Heather Hill, a Black businesswoman from Appalachia. On the Democratic side, Dr. Amy Acton, former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, has also launched her campaign, gaining recognition for her role in managing the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A firm conservative and self-styled America First warrior, Ramaswamy has made cultural and ideological wars the foundation of his political identity. His 2021 book, “Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” was a bestseller, inveighing against what he describes as the corporate manipulation of social justice causes. His 2024 book, “Truths: The Future of America First,” outlined his 10 core principles, beginning with “God is real” and “There are two genders.”
Ramaswamy has already attracted crucial endorsements, including support from Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Trump, however, has yet to make a formal endorsement, and there is room for maneuver among Republican hopefuls.
How is Ohio important?
Ohio has become a Republican stronghold from its bellwether swing state status, with Trump carrying it in 2016, 2020, and 2024 by over 8 percentage points on each occasion. The GOP now holds all statewide executive offices, a majority of seats on the Ohio Supreme Court, and supermajorities in both legislative houses.
Despite this, Ramaswamy is up against challenges. Governor Mike DeWine, 78, a veteran center-right Republican, bypassed Ramaswamy when nominating a substitute for JD Vance’s Senate seat, choosing instead Husted for his years of government service. Now that Husted is out of the running, endorsements and donor support are available for grabs.
Ramaswamy will begin his campaign in Cincinnati at 3:30 PM ET (2 AM IST Tuesday), with visits to Columbus, Toledo, and Cleveland. His announcement is likely to spark a hot Republican fight, with the party split between establishment candidates such as Yost and populist conservatives supporting Ramaswamy’s anti-establishment strategy.
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