Entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has announced his candidacy for Ohio governor, launching his campaign Monday night near the Cincinnati suburb where he grew up.
“I am honored to announce my candidacy to serve as the next governor of the state of Ohio,” Ramaswamy, 39, said.
Ramaswamy, who gained national recognition through his 2024 presidential run and as a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, vowed to push for economic reforms, tax cuts, and deregulation in Ohio. “We’re in the middle of a second Industrial Revolution right now,” he said. “I believe deep in my bones that Ohio can lead the way again.”
The biotech entrepreneur pledged to eliminate both income and property taxes, arguing, “It’s your money, not the government’s.” He also proposed a policy requiring the removal of 10 regulations for every new one introduced. “We want to be the top state in the country to be an entrepreneur,” he added.
Ramaswamy will face Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in the Republican primary, while Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel has not ruled out a bid. On the Democratic side, former Ohio department of health director Dr. Amy Acton is currently the only declared candidate.
Yost, responding to Ramaswamy’s announcement, questioned his commitment to the state. “We’ll see if he actually stays in — Mr. Ramaswamy quit on President Trump and DOGE on day one, he quit on Ohio and moved his company to Texas, and he quit his presidential campaign after a devastating fourth-place finish in Iowa,” Yost said in a statement.
Acton also criticised Ramaswamy, referencing a controversial X post in which he lamented America’s “veneration of mediocrity.” She argued his comments show he is “out of touch with Ohioans.”
“It’s clear Vivek Ramaswamy doesn’t know the same Ohioans I do,” Acton said. “Where he sees laziness and mediocrity, I see our strength, our grit, and our opportunity.”
At his campaign launch, Ramaswamy hit back at Acton, criticizing her role during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Never again will we bend the knee to an Anthony Fauci knockoff who allowed our schools to be closed,” he said, without directly naming Acton. “She owes those kids an apology.”
Ramaswamy is set to continue his campaign with events in New Albany, Toledo, and Strongsville in the coming days.