Vivek Ramaswamy has secured the Republican nomination for the governorship of Ohio following the primary held on Tuesday, according to projections from CBS News.
In the upcoming November election, he will face off against Democrat Amy Acton, who previously served as the director of the Ohio Department of Public Health and ran unopposed in the primary.
Current Republican Governor Mike DeWine is unable to seek reelection due to term limits. Notably, in the 2024 presidential election, former President Trump prevailed in Ohio by a margin of 11 points.
Initially, the Republican landscape for 2025 was anticipated to feature Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and former Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel as candidates. However, Yost withdrew from the race after receiving support for Ramaswamy from the Ohio Republican Party and Trump, while Tressel also decided against running, which ultimately cleared the path for Ramaswamy.
In the primary election, Ramaswamy triumphed over Casey Putsch, a small business owner known as “The Car Guy.” Although Heather Hill, a member of the Morgan County school board, was listed on the ballot, her votes were rendered invalid after her running mate withdrew. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that, according to state law, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must run as a team, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch.
Ramaswamy, a billionaire in the biotech sector, gained national attention in 2024 when he made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Following the 2024 election, he aligned himself with Trump and was initially appointed to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk. However, he resigned from this position shortly after Trump’s inauguration to concentrate on his political ambitions.
As per campaign finance disclosures, Ramaswamy raised $5 million in the first quarter of 2026 and also lent himself $25 million, bringing his total cash reserves to $30 million by April. He announced to Fox News in 2025 his intention to contribute $30 million to his campaign.
In the same timeframe, Acton gathered $5.1 million, retaining $3 million in cash on hand.
Vice President JD Vance, a resident of Ohio, confirmed on Tuesday that he cast his vote in favor of Ramaswamy.
