Vivek Ramaswamy has won the Republican nomination for Ohio governor in Tuesday's primary election. According to BBC, CBS News, and Fox News, he defeated Casey Putsch, a car designer with an automotive-themed YouTube channel, and Heather Hill, who was disqualified from the race due to state law dictating that candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run together.
Key Takeaways
Vivek Ramaswamy secured the Republican nomination for Ohio governor in Tuesday's primary election. He will face Democrat Amy Acton in November.
- Vivek Ramaswamy won the Republican nomination for Ohio governor
- He defeated Casey Putsch and Heather Hill, who was disqualified from the race
- Ramaswamy raised $30 million for his campaign, including a $25 million personal loan
- Amy Acton is unopposed in the Democratic primary
The victory puts Ramaswamy on a path to running the Rust Belt state in November's general election. He will face Democrat Amy Acton, a doctor and researcher who served as director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2019 to 2020 and was unopposed in her party's primary.
Ramaswamy, a health-technology entrepreneur, gained national recognition during his unsuccessful run against Donald Trump for president in 2024. He later threw his support behind Trump, who boosted Ramaswamy in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. Vice President JD Vance also traveled to Cincinnati to cast his ballot for Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy has drawn on his personal fortune to help fund his campaign. According to The Columbus Dispatch, he loaned his operation $25 million, and raised an additional $5 million during the first three months of 2026. Acton raised $5.1 million over the same period.
Ohio's current governor, Republican Mike DeWine, cannot run for re-election because of term limits. The race promises to get more intense and expensive heading into the general election in November.
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