Vivek Ramaswamy, the Cincinnati-born biotech entrepreneur who left the Department of Government Efficiency initiative on President Donald Trump’s first day, launched his campaign for Ohio governor on Monday. He promised to implement work requirements for Medicaid and merit-based pay for public school teachers and administrators.
Ramaswamy, 39, began his campaign in Cincinnati, entering the 2026 Republican primary just a month after Jon Husted, the presumed frontrunner and former Lt. Governor, dropped out to pursue a U.S. Senate seat.
Before announcing his bid for governor, Ramaswamy had sought the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but dropped out to support Trump, who later appointed him to co-chair the government efficiency initiative alongside billionaire Elon Musk. A near-billionaire himself, Ramaswamy is leveraging his connections with Trump to gain endorsements and attract donors for his gubernatorial race. On Monday night, Trump endorsed Ramaswamy via social media.
Ramaswamy expressed to the crowd, “I dedicated much of last year working relentlessly to help bring Donald Trump back to the White House because it was a critical turning point.” He added, “It was a pivotal moment for the future of our nation,” as the audience erupted in applause.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Ramaswamy, calling him “something SPECIAL.” He added, “He’s young, strong, and smart! Vivek is also a great person who truly loves our country. He will make a GREAT Governor of Ohio, never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
Ramaswamy enters a competitive GOP primary race to replace Republican Governor Mike DeWine, 78, who is term-limited after a long career in center-right politics. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost declared his candidacy for the position 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 who guided Ohio through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, is running for governor.
Ramaswamy is entering the race in a state that has shifted firmly to the right in recent years, consistently voting for Trump by over 8 percentage points in three elections. Republicans currently dominate Ohio’s political landscape, holding every statewide executive office, a majority on the state Supreme Court, and supermajorities in both legislative chambers.
At his campaign launch, Ramaswamy told the crowd he would “end the war on work” by reinstating work requirements for Medicaid and welfare. He promised to eliminate income and property taxes and make Ohio the first state in the country to implement merit-based pay for all teachers, principals, superintendents, and administrators.
He also reflected on Ohio’s past prosperity, when it was known for its glass, rubber, and steel industries, and expressed hope that the state could once again thrive—this time in fields like semiconductor production, nuclear energy, biotechnology, and bitcoin.
“I truly believe Ohio can lead again,” he said. “If Silicon Valley has been at the forefront of the American economy for the past decade, the Ohio River Valley will take that lead for the next ten years.”
Yost issued a statement acknowledging Ramaswamy’s entry into the race, saying he was welcome “for however long he sticks around.”
Ramaswamy, a Hindu, outlined the 10 core beliefs from his presidential campaign, which include “God is real” and “there are two genders,” in his 2024 book, Truths: The Future of America First. He gained political attention with his 2021 book Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam, in which he sharply criticized corporations for using social justice issues as a cover for self-serving policies.
Rather than following the typical path to Ohio’s governorship, which usually involves decades of government service, Ramaswamy is attempting a direct leap into the job from the business world, similar to Trump’s political rise.
This approach has worked for political outsiders like Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, who both secured Senate seats with Trump’s support in 2022 and 2024. However, Ramaswamy will be the first in recent memory to test this formula in a state-level race for governor.
DeWine chose to appoint Husted to the Senate seat vacated by Vance, citing Husted’s extensive experience in elected office. Husted’s gubernatorial campaign, backed by his past roles as Ohio House speaker and secretary of state, had already secured many key endorsements and wealthy donors, most of whom are now free to support other candidates.
As rumors about Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial run began to spread, Yost entered the race. Since then, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose have come out in support of Ramaswamy.