Vivek Ramaswamy plans to announce Ohio gubernatorial run

0
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Share
Vivek Ramaswamy was a visible presence at the Trump inauguration Jan. 20, 2024. PHOTO: Screenshot from C-span.org live.

Biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy plans to run for Ohio governor, according to two people familiar with his plans who say that the co-leader of President-elect Donald Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative will announce his bid shortly.

“Vivek’s base plan remains [the] same: to get accomplishments at DOGE and then announce a run for governor shortly,” said an Ohio operative familiar with Ramaswamy’s thinking, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about the former presidential candidate’s intentions.

A person inside Ramaswamy’s political apparatus who spoke to Ramaswamy this week said that Ramaswamy said he plans to run to replace Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), who is term limited. “The statement is drafted. It is ready,” the person said Ramaswamy told them. Ramaswamy planned to announce his selection after DeWine announces his pick to replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the Senate, the person said.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

A representative for Ramaswamy did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump has said DOGE’s work must be completed by “no later” than July 4, 2026 – before the Ohio gubernatorial election in November 2026.

DeWine on Friday named Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vance’s Senate seat after Vance’s resignation from the Senate last week. Ramaswamy had signaled interest in the seat after Trump picked Vance as his running mate, but took himself out of consideration after Trump won and said that he was appointing Ramaswamy and billionaire Elon Musk to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, a new commission on cutting government spending and regulation.

In recent days, Trump encouraged Ramaswamy to consider filling the Senate seat if the post was offered to him, The Post previously reported.

Ramaswamy ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but dropped out last January and endorsed Donald Trump. He is a Cincinnati native and has not previously held public office.