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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Vivek Ramaswamy, the Cincinnati-born biotech entrepreneur who stepped down from the Department of Government Efficiency initiative on President Donald Trump’s first day, officially announced his candidacy for Ohio governor on Monday. His campaign promises include implementing work requirements for Medicaid and introducing merit-based pay for all public school teachers and administrators.
Ramaswamy, 39, launched his bid in Cincinnati, joining the 2026 Republican primary race just weeks after presumed frontrunner and then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted withdrew to accept a U.S. Senate appointment.
After seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and later endorsing Trump, Ramaswamy served as co-chair of the efficiency initiative alongside billionaire Elon Musk. Now, as a near-billionaire himself, Ramaswamy is emphasizing his ties to Trump while securing endorsements and campaign donors. However, Trump has yet to issue a formal endorsement.
“I spent most of last year working hard to help Donald Trump return to the White House because it was a pivotal moment for the future of our country,” Ramaswamy told an enthusiastic crowd.
The Republican primary to succeed Governor Mike DeWine, a 78-year-old center-right veteran politician limited to two terms, is expected to be competitive.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced his candidacy in January, and Heather Hill, a Black entrepreneur from Appalachia, is also in the race. On the Democratic side, Dr. Amy Acton, the former state health director known for guiding Ohio through the early COVID-19 pandemic, is running.
These contenders are vying for leadership in a state that has leaned reliably Republican in recent years. Ohio has voted for Trump in three consecutive elections, each time by more than eight percentage points. Additionally, Republicans control all statewide executive offices, maintain a majority on the Ohio Supreme Court, and hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers.
At his campaign launch, Ramaswamy pledged to “end the war on work” by reinstating work requirements for Medicaid and welfare programs. He also promised to eliminate income and property taxes and said Ohio would become the first state to introduce merit-based pay for every teacher, principal, superintendent, and administrator.
Reflecting on Ohio’s industrial heyday—when the state was a global leader in glass, rubber, and steel production—Ramaswamy expressed confidence that Ohio could reclaim its prominence, this time in emerging industries like semiconductor manufacturing, nuclear energy, biotechnology, and bitcoin.
“I firmly believe that Ohio can lead the way again,” he said. “If Silicon Valley has driven America’s economy for the past decade, the Ohio River Valley will be at the forefront for the next decade.”
Yost, in a statement, welcomed Ramaswamy to the race, adding, “For however long he sticks around.”
A practicing Hindu, Ramaswamy outlined the 10 core beliefs he championed during his presidential campaign—starting with “God is real” and followed by “There are two genders.” These principles were featured in his 2024 book Truths: The Future of America First. He first gained political prominence with his 2021 book Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam, a critique of corporations using social justice causes as a cover for self-serving policies.
Ramaswamy aims to bypass the traditional path to Ohio’s governorship, which typically involves extensive government experience. Instead, he is adopting a Trump-style approach, seeking to transition directly from the business world into political office.
This strategy has worked at the national level for figures like Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, both of whom secured Senate seats with Trump’s endorsement in 2022 and 2024, respectively. However, Ramaswamy’s campaign will test whether this approach can succeed at the state level.
Governor DeWine’s decision to appoint Husted to the vacant Senate seat, citing Husted’s decades of public service, effectively cleared the way for a wide-open gubernatorial race. Since then, Ramaswamy has secured endorsements from Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, solidifying his position as a serious contender.
