Vivek Ramaswamy launches Ohio governor bid after passing on DOGE

Vivek Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur who was tapped to join the government-efficiency effort led by billionaire Elon Musk, announced on Monday that he is running for Ohio governor.

The 39-year-old Ramaswamy said Ohio once was an economic powerhouse and can be again with the help of a "new generation of leadership" who can direct the state through what he called a second industrial revolution by leading the country in industries such as semiconductors and aerospace.

President Donald Trump "is reviving our conviction in America. We require a leader here at home who will revive our conviction in Ohio," Ramaswamy said at the first stop of an announcement tour in his hometown of Cincinnati.


The Ohio native is seeking to replace term-limited Governor Mike DeWine-a fellow Republican-in the 2026 gubernatorial contest. Ramaswamy has never held elective office before, but gained attention during his unsuccessful 2024 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination won by Trump.

Trump tapped him to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, within the federal government. That effort was the brainchild of Musk, the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc and the world's richest person, who poured his money into Trump's campaign to became his most prolific donor.