Entrepreneur Heather Hill is Ramaswamy’s only competitor in the Ohio Republican primary next May.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost suspended his governor’s campaign on May 16, a week after Ohio Republicans voted to approve President Donald Trump’s support for Vivek Lamaswamy.
In an email to supporters, Yost, 68, said he would “continue to fight for Ohio” as attorney general in January 2027 until the end of his term.
Yost did not immediately support his rival. On May 9, after the state’s GOP approved Ramaswamy, Yost suggested that the group had engaged in “improved cor crowns of unverified candidates.”
The 2026 Ohio Republican primary election will be May 5th. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican with a term restriction, warned last week that a year was a “lifetime” of politics.
“As the governor’s appointment, the sudden climb turned into a vertical cliff.”
“I don’t want to separate my party or my nation in a strange battle over a small difference between my vision and the other’s vision. I don’t really matter,” Yost added.
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Amy Acton, who served as Ohio’s Director of Public Health during the Covid-19 pandemic, runs a Democrat.
Former US Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-ohio) is speculating that he will enter the Democratic primary. Brown lost his re-election bid last November when he lost to Bernie Moreno, which Trump recruited.
“Sherrod Brown’s attempt at a comeback represents a realistic and current danger to Ohio’s prosperity. Our state has challenges to come, but not Washington.
“The dangerous progressive ideas of Sherrod Brown and his party unleash all the good that the last 15 years of Republican leadership have brought. This is the time to protect Ohio, not the time for family conflict,” he added.
Ramaswamy praised Yost in a statement on May 16th after the announcement.
“We congratulate Dave on his thoughtful campaign. He has served Ohio with great dedication and I am confident he will continue to play an important role in shaping our nation and our future,” Ramaswamy said.
Vivek Ramaswamy joined his wife, Apoorva Ramaswamy, during the announcement that he would run for governor of Ohio on February 24, 2025. Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times
Ramaswamy announced the governor’s bid on February 24th. This is a move that was expected for weeks after he left his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the first day of Trump’s new semester.
Born to Indian parents, Ramaswamy earned degrees from Harvard University and Yale Law School before becoming successful investment partner for hedge fund QVT Financial, founding Roivant Sciences and co-founding his own investment company, Asset Management.
He first became nationally prominent in his 2021 book, “Woke Inc: Social Justice Fraud at Inside Corporate America.”
During the presidential election, Ramaswamy was led by “God is the Real,” and outlined the ten core beliefs in her 2024 book “Truth: America’s Future.”
Ramaswamy had expressed interest in the US Senate seat, which was left by Vice President J.D. Vance. Ohio Lieutenant Colonel John Husted was considered the front line to become Ohio’s next governor until DeWine appointed him as Vance’s successor.
Husted faces a special election in 2026 and will retain his seat for the remaining Vance’s expired term. On May 9th, the state GOP also voted to support Husted.
Ohio is the state Trump won decisively in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Republicans have a huge majority in the state legislature.
Entrepreneur Heather Hill is currently Ramaswamy’s only competition in the Republican primary.
“My heart is directed at Republican candidates who have been forced to drop out of the race due to unfair bias against one candidate in the RNC/GOP,” Hill said in a statement after the vote on May 9.
“I want to reassure Ohio that I will not give up. I will fight tirelessly every day to ensure that my name is asked and that the greatest interests of all Ohioans are prioritized,” she added.
Some Republican strategists believe former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel will announce his candidacy to eventually replace DeWine.
Earlier this year, DeWine appointed Tressel to Middle Li to replace Jon Husted, who was tapped by Dewine to fill Jd Vance’s vacant US Senate seat.
At a press conference that announced his new role, Tressel was asked by a reporter if he would run for governor.
“I don’t think about it, but I don’t give any thought about it either,” said Tressel, who served as president of Youngstown State University in northeast Ohio. “I’ve been focusing on what the governor wants to learn from me and what the governor wants me to do.”
Tressel, who was the head coach of the Ohio State National Championship team in 2002, said last week he hadn’t ruled out running. The filing deadline is February 4th.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
