The Ohio Republican Party officially endorsed businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor on Friday.
State Central Committee members voted 51-13 to endorse a candidate in the race before voting 60-3 with one abstention to endorse Ramaswamy. The three votes Ramaswmay did not earn went to Attorney General Dave Yost.
“I’m honored to receive the official endorsement from the Ohio Republican Party to be the next Governor of Ohio and grateful for today’s supermajority vote from the Republican State Central Committee,” Ramaswamy said in a statement on Friday.
Grateful to receive the endorsement of the Ohio Republican Party by a historic 60-3 margin. We’re laser focused on growing our Republican voter base & delivering a decisive victory in ‘26. This isn’t about left vs. right. It’s up vs. down. We’ll work hard to earn every last vote. https://t.co/SYvG7TqfXj
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 9, 2025
“I am running to lead and improve the lives of all Ohioans, regardless of their race, gender, creed, or partisan affiliation. Over the next year, my wife Apoorva and I will listen not just to the Ohioans who already support us, but also to those whose support we will have to work hard to earn. We will work tirelessly to earn the privilege of leading Ohio to our greatest days ahead,” Ramaswamy added.
The Ohio Republican Party’s backing of Ramaswamy comes after the Ohio businessman was endorsed immediately upon launching his campaign in February by President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and Vice President JD Vance.
The Ohio Republican Party’s endorsement of Ramaswamy also came upon the news that incumbent Governor Mike DeWine was actively advocating against the state party’s endorsement of Ramaswamy in the gubernatorial race, saying that an endorsement in the race would be premature.
“As far as who I endorse in the Republican primary for Governor, it is much too early, as we do not know who all will be in the race,” DeWine said earlier this week.
Some have speculated that DeWine is waiting for his Lieutenant Governor, Jim Tressel, to launch a bid for governor before making an endorsement in the race.
On Thursday evening, Tressel told NBC News that while he has not decided whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign, he said he believes “God had more work” for him to do.
“While I have not ruled out a run for Governor — and there will be a time in the future for those conversations — for now, I will remain focused on helping Ohioans get off the sidelines and into our workforce so they can reach their full potential,” Tressel said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Vivek Ramaswamy” by Vivek Ramaswamy.
