CLEVELAND – Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision this week to run for governor of Ohio did not clear or freeze the Republican field as someone so closely and visibly aligned with President-elect Donald Trump normally would.
The biotech entrepreneur, whose work leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency alongside billionaire Elon Musk has yet to officially begin, is expected to launch a campaign soon, two sources with direct knowledge of his plans told NBC News.
“Vivek’s basic plan is still [the] Same thing: make gains in DOGE and then announce a gubernatorial run soon,” an Ohio trader familiar with his thinking wrote in a text message.
Ramaswamy’s path, in theory, was made easier Friday when Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, another Republican running for governor, to the Senate seat recently vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance. But at least two other Republican officials with statewide recognition — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and state Treasurer Robert Sprague — were already preparing their own campaigns for the governor to succeed the term-limited DeWine.
After Husted’s appointment on Friday, and amid subsequent rumors surrounding Ramaswamy, Yost and Sprague noted that their plans have not only not changed, but have intensified.
Yost’s team confirmed that it has recruited Justin Clark, a veteran of Trump’s campaigns and his first administration, to be general counsel for his upcoming gubernatorial bid.
“Justin is nationally recognized for winning some of the most contested races in the country,” said Amy Natoce, spokesperson and senior advisor to Yost. “As a long-time advisor to President Trump, he knows what it means to work with America First conservative candidates like Dave Yost. “His experience is invaluable and we are delighted to have him on our team.”
On Friday night, Yost also sent a text message to his followers promoting his trip to Washington, D.C., for Trump’s inauguration.
“As your next governor, I will work with President Trump to advance his America First agenda,” Yost wrote. “Be on the lookout for a special announcement about my run for governor soon!”
Meanwhile, Sprague filed paperwork with Ohio’s secretary of state on Friday specifying that he plans to run for governor, a move that a spokesman confirmed was a prelude to an official announcement.
“I will continue to fight to reform a broken system, protect our freedoms, and make Ohio the economic powerhouse of the Midwest,” Sprague posted on X. “The people of this state deserve bold, proven leadership, and I look forward to sharing my vision.” for Ohio in the coming weeks.”
While Yost and Sprague are not backing down, a veteran Republican strategist from Ohio who has worked on gubernatorial campaigns there said Ramaswamy’s personal wealth and well-established ties to Trump could make him difficult to beat, even against known electoral numbers.
“Vivek’s blank check and the appeal he has built for conservatives puts him in pole position,” said the strategist, who was granted anonymity to share candid observations about an unsettled field in which Trump could exert an influence. enormous influence.
Husted had been listed as a leading gubernatorial candidate and had long had ambitions for the position after two terms as DeWine’s lieutenant governor, two terms as Ohio secretary of state and his previous job as speaker of the state House. But DeWine, aware that a potentially painful Republican primary was brewing for his close ally, tapped him to fill the vacancy left by Vance.
Ramaswamy, who lives near Columbus and briefly challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is on friendly terms with Husted. He served on the board of directors of InnovateOhio, a state government initiative that Husted founded as lieutenant governor.
It is unclear if or when Ramaswamy should step away from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, before launching a gubernatorial campaign. Trump has said that DOGE will not operate as an official federal agency, meaning Musk and Ramaswamy could continue to engage in their outside political and business interests.
Husted said Friday in an interview with NBC News that he would wait to see who is running for governor before deciding whether to support the race. He noted that he has “had a long and good relationship with Vivek.”
“I look forward to hearing what your plans are,” Husted added.
A Democrat has not been elected governor of Ohio since 2006. DeWine defeated Democrat Nan Whaley, then the mayor of Dayton, by 25 points in his 2022 reelection campaign, and Trump won the state by comfortable margins three times.
Dr. Amy Acton, a Democrat and physician who rose to prominence in the early days of the pandemic as DeWine’s highly visible health director, declared her candidacy for governor earlier this month.
“I’m running for governor because I refuse to look away from Ohioans who are struggling,” Acton said in a statement released by her campaign after the Husted and Ramaswamy news. “Ohioans need a governor who will solve problems and give us all a little break, not another self-serving politician.”
