Cincinnati native and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is stepping away from the newly created U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, which likely means a run for governor of the Buckeye State.
“He intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE, based on the structure that we announced today,” the New York Post quoted Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the President Donald Trump-Vice President J.D. Vance transition team, as saying in a statement. “We thank him immensely for his contributions over the last two months and expect him to play a vital role in making America great again.”
Trump tapped Ramaswamy, 39, and fellow entrepreneur Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, a group tasked with reducing wasteful spending and eliminating burdensome regulations.
On his first day in office, the 47th president formalized the temporary organization and signed an executive order establishing “the Department of Government Efficiency to implement the President’s DOGE Agenda, by modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”
DOGE will operate until July 4, 2026. However, a legal challenge was filed against DOGE even before its work began in earnest.
“It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government,” Ramaswamy said in a post to X. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump make America great again!”
News of Ramaswamy’s departure from DOGE began to surface in the run-up to Trump’s Monday inauguration, and Politico reported that Ramaswamy could announce his gubernatorial run next week. A Republican strategist close to Trump told the publication that Ramaswamy “just burned through the bridges and he finally burned Elon.”
“Vivek has worn out his welcome,” a person close to Trump said, according to a CBS News report.
“Elon basically runs the show,” Politico quoted an informal Trump adviser as saying.
Ramaswamy was visible throughout Trump’s inaugural events despite his DOGE exit. However, his standing among Trump supporters may have taken a hit a few times since Trump’s unprecedented political comeback with November’s win.
Following Trump’s election in November and Monday’s inauguration, Ramaswamy and Musk sparked a debate over the H-1B guest worker program. Tech companies often use the program to attract foreign workers, putting them at odds with some Trump supporters.
During his first term, Trump’s administration limited the H-1B visa program, but Trump told the New York Post that he supports the H-1B guest worker program.
Ramaswamy caused further uproar with a post-Christmas post to X seemingly criticizing American culture.
“Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer),” Ramaswamy said in a Dec. 26 post to X. “That doesn’t start in college, it starts YOUNG. A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.”
Ramaswamy was often seen as a potential pick for the U.S. Senate seat Vance vacated. He purportedly met with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine about the vacancy. According to reports, Ramaswamy was also linked to a 2022 U.S. Senate run—the election Vance won—but he did not enter the race.
However, last week, DeWine named former Lt. Governor Jon Husted to replace Vance in the U.S. Senate, a pick that could be considered safe and non-controversial for the governor. The governor has not yet named a replacement for Husted.
DeWine appointment of Husted throws a wrench in the 2026 gubernatorial race, which looks to be a high-profile affair with Ramaswamy’s potential run and the announcement that Dr. Amy Acton, the controversial former state health director during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, is running for governor as a Democrat.
Acton will likely need to navigate a crowded Democratic primary that might include Ohio House of Representatives Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, former Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan. On the Republican side, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose are among the potential candidates besides Ramaswamy.
