The gloves are off, and the barbs are starting to fly — so much for midwestern pleasantries.
Now that Cincinnati native, entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has entered Ohio’s 2026 gubernatorial race, the real fighting can begin.
“I will lead Ohio to become the state of excellence in America,” Ramaswamy told supporters at a campaign rally, according to Fox News.
“Think that sounds unrealistic? It’s not,” he added. “In fact, it wasn’t long ago that Ohio was that state. Today, young people on the internet make fun of something by saying ‘that’s so Ohio.’ But less than a century ago, people weren’t making fun of Ohio, they were aspiring to be Ohio.”
While those in attendance greeted Ramaswamy warmly, his main opponent in the Republican primary did not. Ohio Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Dave Yost welcomed Ramaswamy, the race’s presumptive front-runner, by throwing shade at him and calling him a quitter.
“I welcome Mr. Ramaswamy to the race for however long he sticks around,” Yost said. “We’ll see if he actually stays in — Mr. Ramaswamy quit on President Trump and DOGE on day one, he quit on Ohio and moved his company to Texas, and he quit his presidential campaign after a devastating fourth-place finish in Iowa.”
Of course, the attorney general’s DOGE reference harkened to Ramaswamy’s decision to leave the Department of Government Efficiency last month. Many insiders interpreted the move as a precursor to the entrepreneur’s gubernatorial candidacy.
Then President-elect Donald Trump tapped Ramaswamy, 39, and fellow entrepreneur Elon Musk to head DOGE, a group tasked with reducing wasteful spending and eliminating burdensome regulations.
“Good luck, you have my full endorsement!” Musk posted to X in response to Ramaswamy, who kicked off his campaign with rallies in Cincinnati and New Albany.
Democratic Dr. Amy Acton, the contentious former state health director at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, joined in the anti-Ramaswamy rhetoric.
“It’s clear Vivek Ramaswamy doesn’t know the same Ohioans I do,” Acton said in a post to X. “He calls Ohioans lazy. But I know Ohioans are resilient and hardworking. Our campaign is about bringing people together to build a future that works for everyone. Help us fight back.”
Yost could also tag Acton as a quitter. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Acton to the post in February 2019, but she resigned in June 2020 amid growing criticism of the state’s pandemic response she oversaw.
However, their barbs may not stick, given that a polling memo from Yost’s campaign concluded that Trump’s endorsement may be the deciding factor in the race.
“VIVEK RAMASWAMY is running for Governor of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social. “I know him well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL. He’s Young, Strong, and Smart! Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country. He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
Currently, Yost and Ramaswamy are the two primary Republican candidates. Former Morgan County School Board President Heather Hill is also vying for the Republican nomination.
“Ohio is ready for change. We cannot change if we don’t change our administration,” Hill said, according to WCMH-TV. “We cannot deal with the … back-and-forth teetering checker game that’s happening with our state offices right now.
“You know, it’s the same group of people that are being kind of rotated musical chairs kind of thing that’s happening right now, and people are, people are tired of that,” Hill added. “They want change, and they see me as a change agent, and I’m very proud to step into that role.”
While Acton is the only officially declared Democrat running for governor, she will likely need to navigate a crowded primary to win her first elected office. The Democratic field could expand to 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.
