Ohio entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will announce a bid for Ohio governor “shortly,” a source close to Ramaswamy confirmed.
President-elect Donald Trump had urged Ramaswamy, 39, to consider replacing Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate. However, Gov. Mike DeWine chose Lt. Gov. Jon Husted for the position on Friday.
Ramaswamy, who grew up in Cincinnati and lives in suburban Columbus, emerged as a late contender for the Senate seat after withdrawing himself from consideration two months ago. Trump tapped Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, with Elon Musk.
Ultimately, Ramaswamy sees himself as an executive and plans to run for Ohio governor in 2026, according to a source close to Ramaswamy. DeWine cannot run for reelection because of term limits.
With Trump’s expected support, Ramaswamy could have an edge in a GOP primary. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost will formally announce his gubernatorial bid in late February after seeing a “groundswell of support” for his candidacy, spokeswoman Amy Natoce said. Husted’s departure from the race clears at least one person from the field.
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton recently announced she would run for governor as a Democrat.
After graduating from Harvard and Yale Law School − where he studied with Vance − Ramaswamy founded a pharmaceutical company and asset management firm.
Ramaswamy graduated from St. Xavier High School, a private all-boys Jesuit-run school just west of Cincinnati. He was the 2003 valedictorian at the school.
During his unsuccessful bid for the GOP nomination for president in 2024, Ramaswamy called for shutting down the Department of Education, FBI and other government agencies. He also generated headlines for unconventional ideas such as raising the voting age to 25, unless people serve in the military or pass a civics test.
Ramaswamy’s appointment came weeks after he faced blowback for a social media post blaming American “mediocrity” for technology companies that prefer to hire immigrants. The normally active X user went on a brief hiatus this month after Trump’s team urged Cabinet nominees not to use social media without the OK from incoming White House counsel.
Haley BeMiller and Jessie Balmert cover state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
