Billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, former Republican presidential candidate and co-leader with Elon Musk of Donald Trump's planned Department of Government Efficiency, is gearing up to announce he'll run to replace Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, multiple outlets reported Friday, after he was passed over to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the Senate.
Vivek Ramaswamy at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur Forbes estimates is worth over $1 billion, will run to replace two-time governor DeWine, who cannot seek a third term under Ohio law, but does not plan to immediately leave his role within Trump's administration, The New York Times reported citing anonymous sources.
The governor's seat doesn't open until 2026, and before turning his attention to a campaign, Ramaswamy plans to work alongside Musk at DOGE, which Trump in November said will lead “large scale structural reform” within the federal government.
Ramaswamy was one of the names floated as a potential replacement for Vance in the Senate, but DeWine on Friday instead selected Lt. Gov. Jon Husted for the position.
Ramaswamy, an Ohio native born in Cincinnati to Indian immigrant parents, has never held public office.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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