The Ohio gubernatorial primary was held on Tuesday (May 5), with the Republican nominee being a biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate. RamaswamyVivek Ramaswamy has won the gubernatorial nomination. He defeated auto entrepreneur Casey Putsch and will face Democratic candidate Amy Acton in November.
Ramaswamy participated in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries before withdrawing and becoming a key ally and spokesperson for US President Donald Trump. On the day of Trump's inauguration last January, Ramaswamy announced his withdrawal from Trump's newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to run for governor of Ohio, and Trump immediately expressed his support.
In his victory speech, Ramaswamy promised, "We will bring the American Dream back to Ohio, with lower costs of living, higher wages, and better schools."
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) criticized Ramaswamy as a "former presidential candidate who has lost the support of the people" and pointed out that her policies could lead to higher living costs for Ohio families.
Acton is a physician and researcher who served as the Ohio Department of Health from 2019 to 2020. She became a well-known figure statewide during the pandemic for co-hosting daily briefings with Republican Governor Mike DeWine, and her moderate and stable image garnered support from many voters.
However, her support for measures such as lockdowns, school closures, and election cancellations during the pandemic has also sparked strong dissatisfaction among some voters, with armed protesters even appearing outside her home.
Ramaswamy's campaign has continued to exploit voter discontent with pandemic restrictions, attacking Acton's role in the past. However, Ramaswamy himself assisted then-Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted in handling pandemic-related economic issues, and his company also profited from vaccine development-related businesses.
Ohio has historically been a key swing state in the U.S., but its political landscape has shifted towards the Republican Party over the past decade. Trump won the state by 11 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. However, multiple polls indicate that the gubernatorial race between Ramaswamy and Acton is expected to be a close contest.
It is worth mentioning that U.S. Vice President JD Vance returned to his hometown of Ohio on Tuesday to vote and confirmed to the media that he supports Ramaswamy.
