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Vivek Ramaswamy has won the 2026 Republican gubernatorial nomination in his home state of Ohio, the Associated Press reports.
Ramaswamy, who grabbed national attention when he ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out and becoming a top surrogate for President Donald Trump, on Tuesday defeated long shot rival Casey Putsch, an automotive entrepreneur.
His victory sets the stage for a high-profile general election battle for governor in the key midterm Midwestern battleground state.
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Now, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader who is backed by Trump will face off in November’s general election against Democrat Amy Acton, a doctor and researcher who served as director of the state Department of Health from 2019 to 2020.
Acton was unopposed as she captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Ohio.
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The winner in November will succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.
“I’m proud to officially say that today it is our pleasure to become the Republican nominee for the governor of Ohio,” Ramaswamy told supporters at his primary victory celebration.
Ramaswamy pledged to “make Ohio greater than we have ever been. That’s what we’re about to do together. So, thank you tonight for kicking off the next chapter of this journey.”
And pointing to Acton, his Democratic rival, Ramaswamy said, “”I do believe this marks without exception the single most consequential election for governor that our state has ever seen in our history. There has never been a greater contrast between two candidates.”
The Democratic Governors Assocation (DGA) quickly took aim at Ramswamy.
“Vivek Ramaswamy is an out-of-touch presidential also-ran whose harmful agenda would drive costs even higher and make life harder for Ohio families already struggling to make ends meet,” DGA Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper argued in a statement.
Once a top general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to the right over the past decade, with Trump carrying the state by 11 points in the 2024 election. But polls indicate this year’s race for governor between Ramaswamy and Acton will be very competitive.
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Vice President JD Vance traveled to his home state this morning, stopping at a polling station in Cincinnati to cast a ballot in Ohio’s primary.
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Vance, who served as senator from Ohio before stepping down after winning election in 2024 as vice president, confirmed to reporters that he cast a ballot for Ramaswamy.
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