Vivek Ramaswamy Set To Join Ohio Governor’s Race

<p>Indian-American, Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, launched his bid for Ohio governor Monday. He promised to institute work requirements for Medicaid and merit pay for all public school teachers and administrators.</p>
<p>According to the Associated Press (AP), Ramaswamy departed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative on President Donald Trump&rsquo;s first day. On Monday, he kicked off his campaign, entering the 2026 Republican primary just a month after presumed frontrunner and then-Lt. Governor Jon Husted withdrew to accept a US Senate appointment.</p>
<p>Ramaswamy pursued the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 before dropping out to support Trump, who later appointed him to co-chair an efficiency initiative alongside billionaire Elon Musk.</p>
<p>A near-billionaire himself Ramaswamy has emphasised his ties to Trump while securing key endorsements and donors for the governor&rsquo;s race. However, the former president has yet to make a formal endorsement.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I spent most of last year working tirelessly to help send Donald Trump back to the White House because it was a fork in the road,&rdquo; Ramaswamy said to loud cheers from the crowd. &ldquo;It was a fork in the road for the future of the country,&rdquo; as per AP.</p>
<p>Ramaswamy told the crowd at his campaign launch that he would &ldquo;end the war on work&rdquo; by reattaching work requirements to Medicaid and welfare. He pledged to abolish income and property taxes and vowed that Ohio would be the first state to implement merit-based pay for all teachers, principals, superintendents, and administrators.</p>
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<p>Ramaswamy spoke of Ohio&rsquo;s more prosperous days when the state was home to the glass, rubber, and steel capitals of the world, Ramaswamy said. This could be the case again, he said, though in other industries like semiconductor production, nuclear energy, biotechnology and bitcoin.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I believe deep in my bones that Ohio can lead the way again,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;If Silicon Valley was at the leading edge of the American economy for the last 10 years, it will be the Ohio River Valley for the next 10 years, AP reported Ramaswamy as saying.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Ramaswamy joins a competitive GOP primary field to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, 78, a veteran center-right politician who is term-limited.</p>