Former GOP presidential candidate and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy officially announced Monday afternoon his candidacy for Ohio’s gubernatorial seat.
Ramaswamy, 39, jumped into the GOP primary to replace outgoing Governor Mike DeWine whose term ends in 2026. A Cincinnati native, Ramaswamy will be up against GOP state Attorney General Dave Yost and enters the race as the frontrunner.
A poll first reported by Axios last month found Ramaswamy receiving over 50 percent in a GOP primary poll, giving him a 34 point lead on his nearest rival. Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio’s firm, Fabrizio, Lee, and associates took the poll ahead of Ramaswamy’s expected announcement.
Once a swing-state, Ohio has become Republican dominated on the state and federal levels. President Donald Trump won the state by 11 points over former Vice President Kamala Harris, the largest margin of victory in Ohio since President Ronald Reagan’s 18 point blowout in 1984. Trump’s win in Ohio carried Senator Bernie Moreno over the finish line by four points against incumbent Sherrod Brown, a populist Democrat with three terms to his name.
With an estimated net worth of roughly $1 billion, Ramaswamy could spend his own money on the campaign in addition to outside fundraising. Ramaswamy’s fortune primarily comes from business ventures in the financial and pharmaceutical industries. He is also a bestselling author of Woke Inc. and Nation of Victims, books that critiqued the outgrowth of progressive ideology in corporate America and the problem of victimhood culture.
Last month, Ramaswamy left President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency before Trump officially took office and established DOGE. Ramaswamy was initially supposed to run DOGE alongside billionaire Elon Musk, who is currently overseeing the government re-organization initiative. Before exiting DOGE, Ramaswamy posted often about reducing the size of government and participated in meetings with Republican lawmakers to trade ideas.
Ramaswamy was also rumored to be in contention for Vice President JD Vance’s vacant Ohio Senate seat, but DeWine appointed state Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted (R) last month to fill the opening.
Over Christmastime, Ramaswamy drew controversy for accusing Americans of valorizing a culture of mediocrity, unlike immigrants who come to the U.S. and focus on academic success. His made the post in the middle of an intense debate among online right-wing commentators over the H-1B visa system tech companies use to hire immigrant engineers.
Ramaswamy became a prominent right-wing media figure during his 2024 presidential campaign. His ubiquitous media presence and push to dramatically overhaul the administrative state brought Ramaswamy unexpected polling success in a crowded primary field.
After an unremarkable Iowa performance, Ramaswamy dropped out and immediately became one of Trump’s leading surrogates. Ramaswamy remains a fixture in right-wing media and the conservative speaker circuit.