Even before officially launching his widely anticipated Ohio gubernatorial bid, former biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy already enjoys an enormous lead over many of his prospective primary opponents, according to a new survey of Republican primary voters conducted by longtime Trump polling firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates.

Ramaswamy, who recently parted ways with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he was slated to lead with Elon Musk, has the support of more than half of Buckeye State GOP primary voters in a gubernatorial match-up against potential opponents Dave Yost, Robert Sprague, and Jeremiah Workman, according to the poll. The general election for term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine’s seat is in 2026.

“Though not as well-known as the President or Vice President, Vivek Ramaswamy enjoys a very strong image with these voters,” the firm’s pollsters wrote in a January 28 polling memo shared with National Review. “A 65% majority have a favorable opinion of him, including 47% with a very favorable opinion. Conversely, only 9% view him unfavorably.” Axios first reported on the polling memo.

Ramaswamy has been teasing a gubernatorial run for months now, and a source familiar with the matter confirms to NR that the Cincinnati native is expected to formally launch his gubernatorial run sometime in February. “To call it a groundswell of people asking me to do this would be an understatement, and I have to give it consideration,” Ramaswamy told National Review in Ohio back in October.

In a sign of how quickly things are heating up behind the scenes, Ramaswamy recently hired a host of operatives from Vice President JD Vance’s political orbit to help run his still-unannounced 2026 gubernatorial campaign.