Ramaswamy Wins Republican Nomination for Ohio Governor
NEW YORK — Vivek Ramaswamy, the billionaire entrepreneur backed by President Donald Trump, has won the Republican nomination for Ohio governor, setting up a November general election race against Democrat Amy Acton.
Ramaswamy won 87 percent of the vote, defeating Casey Putsch, an auto racing team owner whose campaign drew attention for racist comments aimed at Ramaswamy. Acton ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Ramaswamy first entered national politics as a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, running against Trump before dropping out and endorsing him.
Trump later named Ramaswamy as co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, alongside Elon Musk. Ramaswamy’s time in the role lasted about a month and was marked by tensions with Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive who also owns X.
After leaving DOGE, Ramaswamy received Trump’s backing to run for governor in Ohio.
If elected in November, Ramaswamy would become the third Indian American governor in U.S. history, following fellow Republicans Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Nikki Haley in South Carolina. He would also become the first Hindu governor. Jindal converted to Catholicism, while Haley is Christian and has also maintained Sikh traditions.
Ramaswamy is expected to enter the general election with structural advantages in a state that has leaned heavily Republican in recent years. Ohio has not elected a Democratic governor in 35 years, both of its U.S. senators are Republicans, and Trump carried the state by 12 percentage points in 2024.
His personal wealth also gives him significant financial resources for the campaign.
Still, Ramaswamy could face political challenges tied to rising prices linked to the Iran War and declining approval ratings for Trump in opinion polls.
The primary campaign was marked by racially charged attacks from Putsch. In one post on X, Putsch said, “Hey Vivek, you want to play Cowboys versus Indians”? before firing a gun three times.
He then added, “Don’t worry, it’s ‘feather’, not ‘dot’”.
The terms are derogatory references used to distinguish between Native Americans, sometimes called American Indians, and Indian Americans, including immigrants from India and their descendants. Putsch also falsely questioned Ramaswamy’s citizenship, claiming he should not qualify because his parents were immigrants.
Ramaswamy’s father, Vadakanchery Ganapathy Ramaswamy, worked as an engineer for General Electric, and his mother is a psychiatrist.
Acton, his Democratic opponent, is a physician and moderate Democrat who was appointed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine as Ohio’s health director as COVID-19 began emerging as a public health threat.
Ramaswamy, 40, earned a law degree from Yale University before building a career in business. After working for a hedge fund, he founded biotechnology company Roivant Sciences and later asset management firm Strive.
Forbes estimates his net worth at $2.5 billion. (Source: IANS)
