DOGE Co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy More Inclined to Run for Ohio Governor Than Replace JD Vance’s Senate Seat
- The 39-year-old Indian American entrepreneur, who has reportedly met Gov. Mike DeWine for the vacant Senate spot, has previously expressed interest in replacing the term limited governor.
Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy might be more interested to run as governor of Ohio, than replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s U.S. Senate seat, Semafor has reported. The Indian American entrepreneur is co-chair of incoming president Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, with Elon Musk. A source told the news website that Ramaswamy’s “plan has been to rack up successes at DOGE and then run in a wide-open field in Ohio.”Gov. Mike DeWine is ineligible for reelection in 2026, having already served two terms in office.
According to Semafor, Ramaswamy’s interest in running for governor was apparent at a town hall Springfield in September, where he discussed the city’s recent influx of migrants. When an attendee asked whether he would consider running for governor in the upcoming 2026 election, Ramaswamy said he’s “a little more inclined than I was about 10 seconds ago.”
Ramaswamy is said to have Trump’s support in whatever post he chooses, Semafor reported.
Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that Trump was “urging his former rival to consider an appointment to the Senate seat.” The appointee will serve with Sen. Bernie Moreno for two years and must run in November 2026 if they want to keep the seat. The winner of that election will serve the remainder of Vance’s term, which ends in 2028. Ramaswamy, who is back in the running months after withdrawing his name for consideration, also met DeWine, the publication reported.
Ramaswamy has angered some in the conservative movement after sparking a debate over the need for H1-B visas. He has been facing backlash on social media for his support of the visa program over the training and hiring of American workers.after he suggested Americans were not being hired because they were mediocre. “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer),” he wrote on X. “That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG.”
Ramaswamy, 39, is one of the world’s youngest billionaires, The New York Times noted, “having made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry.” While Musk is more famous that his DOGE co-chair “less attention has been paid to the potential conflicts that could stem from his complex web of financial interests, which span biotechnology, finance and other holdings,” The Times warns. As Ramaswamy “reaches into the federal bureaucracy that shapes the fortunes of American companies, he could recommend spending cuts.”