The Unlikely Alliance: How Vivek Ramaswamy Won Over Ohio’s Teamsters Which Could Cost Democrats Dearly

Patrick J. Darrow has spent decades representing Ohio’s Teamsters, a union that has reliably backed Democrats for governor. But this week, the president of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters did something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago: he endorsed a Republican biotech entrepreneur worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The candidate? Vivek Ramaswamy, the 40-year-old former presidential hopeful who is now running to be Ohio’s next governor.

“Our members want a leader who will fight for good-paying jobs and strengthen the future for Ohio’s working families,” Darrow explained, standing behind a decision that represents more than just another campaign endorsement—it signals a fundamental shift in how some labor leaders view the political landscape.

From Wall Street to Working Class

The alliance seems improbable on its surface. Ramaswamy built his fortune in biotechnology and asset management, moving in circles far removed from the loading docks and distribution centers where Teamsters earn their paychecks. Yet somehow, the Harvard Law graduate has managed to convince more than 50,000 Ohio Teamsters that he understands their struggles better than traditional Democratic allies.

“This isn’t about left vs. right, it’s about up vs. down,” Ramaswamy said after receiving the endorsement, using language that echoes populist themes rather than typical Republican talking points about free markets and deregulation.

The endorsement didn’t happen overnight. According to Fox News, Ramaswamy’s campaign has methodically courted labor support since launching his gubernatorial bid in February 2025. The results speak for themselves: endorsements from the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, the Central Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters, the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council, and the Northwest Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council.

The Tim Ryan Factor

The Teamsters’ decision becomes even more intriguing when considering their previous loyalty. The union had backed former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democrat who narrowly lost his Senate bid to J.D. Vance in 2022. Ryan, a Youngstown native who built his political brand around fighting for working families, remains undecided about entering the governor’s race.

The Teamsters’ endorsement reflects broader changes in American labor politics that extend well beyond Ohio’s borders.

But Ramaswamy’s campaign has already begun peeling away Ryan’s financial support. Nearly $220,000 of Ramaswamy’s early contributions came from donors who previously gave to Ryan, according to Fox News reporting—a telling indicator of shifting allegiances in Ohio politics.

The irony runs deeper: some of the same unions endorsing Ramaswamy have also backed Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, illustrating the complex political calculations labor leaders now face in an era where traditional party lines seem increasingly fluid.

While Ramaswamy courts union halls, he’s also dominated the fundraising race with Silicon Valley efficiency. Campaign finance reports show he raised $9.7 million compared to his leading Democratic opponent Amy Acton’s $1.35 million. A super PAC supporting his campaign has raised nearly double his official campaign total, bolstered by a $10 million contribution from a Pennsylvania billionaire, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.

The financial advantage extends beyond raw dollars. In May 2025, Ramaswamy secured the Ohio Republican Party’s early endorsement, providing him with organizational benefits including coordinated fundraising and discounted bulk mailings—advantages that typically prove decisive in statewide races.

President Trump’s endorsement added another layer of credibility with Republican voters, while early polling shows Ramaswamy leading potential Democratic opponents and widening his advantage in the GOP primary.

The Acton Challenge

Dr. Amy Acton, the former Ohio Department of Health Director who became a household name during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, currently leads the Democratic field. Her public health background and pragmatic approach to governance offer a stark contrast to Ramaswamy’s private sector experience and libertarian-leaning philosophy.

Yet Acton faces the challenge of exciting a Democratic base that has watched Ohio drift increasingly toward Republicans in recent cycles. The state that once reliably swung between parties in presidential elections hasn’t backed a Democrat for president since 2012, and Republicans now control every statewide office.

The Teamsters’ endorsement reflects broader changes in American labor politics that extend well beyond Ohio’s borders. Traditional blue-collar unions increasingly find themselves torn between Democratic Party positions on social issues and Republican appeals to working-class economic concerns.

This tension played out dramatically during the 2024 presidential race, when the national Teamsters union declined to endorse either major party candidate—the first time in nearly three decades the union stayed neutral in a presidential election.

For Ramaswamy, union support helps address potential vulnerabilities about his wealthy background and Ivy League credentials. Matt Mayer, his Republican primary opponent and former director of the Buckeye Institute, lacks similar labor backing despite his own policy credentials.

The November Calculation

The 2026 general election will ultimately test whether Ramaswamy’s cross-party appeal translates into votes beyond union halls. Ohio’s electorate has grown more Republican in recent cycles, but Democrats hope to capitalize on potential fatigue with single-party control and concerns about economic inequality.

Ramaswamy’s challenge lies in maintaining union support while satisfying Republican primary voters who may be skeptical of candidates too cozy with organized labor. His message of economic populism attempts to thread this needle, appealing to working-class concerns while avoiding traditional Democratic positions on issues like environmental regulation or tax policy.

The Teamsters endorsement suggests this balancing act may be working. Whether it continues through a potentially bruising general election campaign remains the ultimate test of Ramaswamy’s political evolution from biotech entrepreneur to populist politician.

As Darrow put it when announcing his union’s support: “Vivek has demonstrated a commitment to listening to labor and partnering with us to deliver real results.” In Ohio’s changing political landscape, that may be exactly the message both Teamsters and Republican voters want to hear.

The 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, with the winner to be inaugurated on January 11, 2027.

Top image, Ramaswamy/Facebook. This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.