Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, announced his candidacy for Ohio governor, aiming to lead the state in a “second industrial revolution.” Speaking in West Chester Township, he emphasized collaboration and continuity with Trump’s agenda, asserting that revitalizing Ohio is essential to America’s revival. Ramaswamy, who has not previously held office in Ohio, criticized traditional parties for neglecting educational issues and promised to ban cellphones in schools. He has garnered support from local Republican leaders but faces competition from established candidates. His campaign highlights conservative values without aggression, positioning himself as a viable choice for voters.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential hopeful who briefly assisted President Trump with his government-restructuring initiatives, launched his campaign for governor of Ohio on Monday, promising to position the state as a leader in a “second industrial revolution” in the United States.
Speaking to around a hundred supporters at an aerospace firm’s industrial site in West Chester Township, near his native Cincinnati, Mr. Ramaswamy framed his candidacy as a continuation of Mr. Trump’s work in Washington.
“This is not a one-person endeavor,” he stated, referring to Mr. Trump’s election. “If we’re going to succeed as a society, it will be because everyone here steps up to take action, starting with the states.”
At 39, Mr. Ramaswamy gained notoriety as a conservative critic of progressive corporate governance. He was a long-shot yet prominent candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, exiting the race after finishing a distant fourth in the Iowa caucuses and quickly rebranding himself as a staunch supporter of Mr. Trump and his agenda.
This led to speculation that he might be considered for a position in Mr. Trump’s cabinet. Instead, he was appointed to lead the president’s Department of Government Efficiency task force alongside Elon Musk.
However, before Mr. Trump took office, Mr. Ramaswamy became entangled in the political factions and personal rivalries within the new president’s inner circle. In December, he sparked anger among immigration hard-liners in Mr. Trump’s coalition by defending the H-1B visa program for skilled immigrants and contended on X that “American culture has celebrated mediocrity over excellence for far too long.”
Tensions also grew quickly between Mr. Ramaswamy and Mr. Musk, who shared similar views on the visa debate but disagreed with Mr. Ramaswamy regarding the task force. The White House announced Mr. Ramaswamy’s departure on the day Mr. Trump was inaugurated.
Angela Settell, a local Republican activist who was present at the rally, expressed that she wasn’t worried about the short and tumultuous nature of Mr. Ramaswamy’s time in Mr. Trump’s sphere.
“He was a solid candidate for DOGE, but there should never have been two leaders; it should just be one,” remarked Ms. Settell, hailing from nearby Loveland. Regarding the visa dispute, she noted, “most people don’t even know what it entails,” she added.
Mr. Ramaswamy presents his aspirations for Ohio as aligned with Mr. Trump’s vision of reforming Washington and a continuation of his collaboration with Mr. Musk’s task force, which aims to dismantle various federal government programs.
“President Trump is reigniting our faith in America,” he asserted. “We need a leader here at home who will restore our faith in Ohio.”
During his address in West Chester, Mr. Ramaswamy did not mention his collaboration with Mr. Musk. Instead, he concentrated on traditional Republican priorities, including reducing taxes and regulations in Ohio, and characterized educational achievement as “the most pressing crisis that unfortunately neither major political party is addressing adequately.” He also promised to prohibit cellphones in schools.
Mr. Ramaswamy signaled his intentions to run for governor of Ohio last month and has recruited several operatives closely affiliated with Mr. Trump and Vice President JD Vance for his campaign.
These hires indicate he has at least implicit support from Mr. Trump. Although the president has yet to endorse a candidate in the upcoming primary, he had encouraged Mike DeWine, Ohio’s Republican governor, to appoint Mr. Ramaswamy to complete Mr. Vance’s Senate term.
Mr. DeWine opted to appoint Jon Husted, his lieutenant governor, to fill the Senate seat instead—a choice that triggered a game of musical chairs in the governor’s race, in which Mr. Husted was anticipated to be a frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Dave Yost, Ohio’s attorney general, and Robert Sprague, the state treasurer, both announced their candidacies.
Their aspirations quickly became complicated by Mr. Ramaswamy, whose presidential campaign and visibility in Republican politics and conservative media since then have elevated him to one of the G.O.P.’s most recognized figures, despite his relatively brief resume in Republican politics. He has never held an elected office in Ohio previously and was registered as an independent voter as recently as 2021.
Mr. Sprague suspended his campaign and endorsed Mr. Ramaswamy this month. Frank LaRose, Ohio’s Republican secretary of state, has also voiced his support for Mr. Ramaswamy.
Mr. Yost is also pursuing Mr. Trump’s endorsement, much like Mr. Ramaswamy. He and his team traveled to Washington this month to meet with members of Mr. Trump’s staff, but they did not have a meeting with the president himself, according to a source familiar with the situation.
During his speech, Mr. Ramaswamy pledged to remain “conservative without being combative” in his primary race against Mr. Yost. He criticized the “Anthony Fauci clone who permitted our public schools to be shut down” during the Covid-19 pandemic—an apparent reference to Amy Acton, the former director of the state Department of Health, who is currently the only declared Democratic contender in the governor’s race.
Kevin Williams contributed reporting from West Chester Township, Ohio.