Vivek Ramaswamy spins quick exit from Trump administration into run for Ohio governor

CINCINNATI (CN) — Near-billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy revealed an ambitious plan based on economic excellence when he announced Monday he will run for governor of the Buckeye State in 2026.

Ramaswamy, the 39-year-old founder of Roivant Sciences, is one of three Republicans in the race, alongside Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and outsider Heather Hill, former president of the Morgan County school board. Ohio state Treasurer Robert Sprague had previously announced a gubernatorial run, but recently dropped out and endorsed Ramaswamy.

“I will lead Ohio to be the top state in the country to start and lead a business, to raise a young family, and where our kids can get a world-class education,” he told a crowd at CTL Aerospace in Cincinnati.

With a net worth just shy of $1 billion, the entrepreneur hopes to follow the businessman-turned-politician trajectory similar to that of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, shortly after he walked away from a position in the Trump administration.

Ramaswamy spoke at length about the state of education not just in Ohio, but in the country as a whole. He said neither political party is doing enough about the problem.

“We are in a crisis, and our economic excellence depends on education,” he said. “I refuse to stand by and idly watch as China laughs at our gradual decay into oblivion. We are turning this ship around.”

Ramaswamy, a native of Cincinnati, touted the history of Ohio and its most famous citizens, including the Wright Brothers and Neil Armstrong, and promised a return to excellence.

“God has blessed our state with every gift we could possibly imagine, all we have to do is step up and start believing again,” he said.

Prior to announcing his gubernatorial run, Ramaswamy ceded control of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency to Elon Musk, fittingly, with a statement on X — the social media platform owned by the Tesla front man.

“It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE, and I’m confident that Elon and team will succeed in streamlining the government,” he said on Jan. 20 in a post on the service formerly known as Twitter.

“Vivek Ramaswamy played a critical role in helping us create DOGE,” Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the commission, said in a statement. “He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today. We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last 2 months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”

DOGE was mentioned repeatedly by opening speakers Monday, and Ramaswamy’s announcement speech was not short on political promises when it came to cutting out government waste.

“Transparency is the way forward for our state,” he said. “We are going to shred every excess regulation, and for every regulation we pass, we will require that at least 10 regulations are rescinded.”

Among other lofty goals, Ramaswamy promised to reduce property and income taxes in the state to zero if he is elected governor.

“The American dream is your birthright, this is not a small vision for our state. We are not victims, we are victors. We don’t whine, we win,” Ramaswamy said.

The Harvard and Yale law graduate had a short-lived run for president but dropped out in January 2024 amid dismal polling numbers.

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Ramaswamy was unafraid during his lackluster presidential campaign to associate with fringe, far-right elements of the Republican Party.

Ohio is a decidedly red state when it comes to presidential elections, but its electorate recently enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution and legalized recreational marijuana, which could spell trouble for Ramaswamy if he continues to embrace an extremist message.

Ramaswamy was primarily self-funded during his presidential campaign, boosted by the sale of over $33 million of Roivant stock. It remains to be seen whether he can implement a grassroots campaign to raise funds through voter contributions.

Governor Mike DeWine is term limited and cannot seek reelection. Dr. Amy Acton, who led Ohio’s health department during the Covid-19 pandemic, is the only Democrat to have announced a gubernatorial run.

Ramaswamy planned to visit New Albany later Monday night, with stops in Toledo and Strongsville on Tuesday. He promised to visit each of Ohio’s 88 counties during his campaign and urged his supporters to stick to their conservative values.

“Those values will win us elections, they will put more money in your pockets, and they will lift more people up out of poverty,” he said.

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