Stephen Zenner/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Wealthy biotechnology entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has won the Republican primary for governor of Ohio, according to a campaign call from The Associated Press.
An aggressive but traditional route was taken to secure the nomination. On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, Ramaswamy announced that he would be leaving the president’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency. That night, Trump expressed his support for Ramaswamy with what he called his “complete and total endorsement.”
On Tuesday, Ramaswamy won by a comfortable margin over Casey Putsch, a northwest Ohio car designer and racing team owner new to politics who attacked Ramaswamy for his South Asian heritage.
Democrat Dr. Amy Acton will face Ramaswamy in the general election. In red Ohio, where a Democrat has not been elected governor in 20 years, the race appears competitive. The Cook Political Report, which tracks the election, changed the race from one that Republicans would likely win to one that simply tilts in Ramaswamy’s favor. But the Republican has vast financial resources of his own and has raised an enormous amount of money.
Acton is the former state health director, appointed to the position in 2019 by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. He played a major role in Ohio’s response to the COVID pandemic, signing DeWine orders that restricted in-person gatherings, closed non-essential businesses and closed K-12 schools. Republicans have called her “Dr. Lockdown” and used her response to the pandemic to campaign against her. DeWine has defended Acton’s work as health director, even as he backs Ramaswamy, and has said that decisions related to the pandemic “were made by the governor.”
His campaign has focused on the high cost of living, an issue that has left-wing voters unhappy with Republicans. He has called for child tax credits, reducing prescription drug costs, reducing utility costs and helping Ohioans stay on Medicaid, among other things.
When Ramaswamy launched his campaign in February of last year, he said he wanted property taxes eliminated. He has backtracked on that proposal and is now talking about instituting “the largest property tax reduction in Ohio history.” He has also raised fears with a proposal to consolidate or close public universities in the state.