As President Trump hit the ground running on Inauguration Day—returning to the Oval Office and swiftly signing a series of Executive Orders—one of his trusted allies was making headlines of his own: Vivek Ramaswamy was out at DOGE.
Ramaswamy was expected to join Elon Musk in a bid to slash the federal bureaucracy with a buzzsaw. But cracks began to appear even before January 20, 2018. Ramaswamy was reported to have decided to lobby Ohio Governor Mike DeWine at the last moment to fill JD Vance’s vacant Senate seat. The seat went to Lt. Governor. Jon Husted.
DeWine is not eligible to run again. Ramaswamy’s attention was then turned toward the Ohio governorship. Last month, we reported:
He may have actively tried to win the Vance Senate Seat, but “he sees himself as an Executive.” Ramaswamy’s decision to focus on the governor’s election makes perfect sense since he grew up in Cincinnati and now lives in Columbus.
Ramaswamy’s decision to move now is also a good one, since he already has a strong fundraising machine from his previous presidential campaign, and his profile in politics has never been better. Ramaswamy’s chances of getting Trump’s support are also high. It could be “now or ever” for Ramaswamy.
It seemed inevitable that the former presidential candidate would run for office when people like Sen. Marsha Mace and Rep. Nancy Mace, both Republicans from Tennessee, began congratulating him before he made any announcement.
It was.
Ramaswamy officially announced his candidacy on Monday.
Ramaswamy said at his campaign launch: “America is Back, and It Feels Fantastic.” He then went on to describe his vision for Ohio.
What he says: “President Trump has revived our convictions in America. We need a leader at home to do the same in Ohio,” Ramaswamy stated at CTL Aerospace’s rally when he announced his candidacy.
The Cincinnati-born biotech businessman added, “We will lead Ohio as the number one state in America where we embrace meritocracy and capitalism instead of apologizing. We will lead Ohio as the number one state in America that cuts through red tape and regulations and bureaucracy.”
He said: “I will make Ohio the number one state in America where patriots from all over America flock instead of Florida or Texas. I will make Ohio the state of excellence for America.”
Ramaswamy is reportedly securing some Vance campaign staffers. Ramaswamy has also received early support, as a Fabrizio, Lee & Associates survey from January showed him with 50% of the vote.