The former Republican presidential candidate won the primary and will appear on the ballot in November.

Vivek Ramaswamy, former biotech executive and Republican presidential candidate, won the Republican primary for governor of Ohio and will face off against Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton in November to replace current Governor Mike DeWine. 

Ramaswamy, 40, was born in Cincinnati and attended Harvard University before attending Yale Law School. 

He worked as a hedge fund investor and then founded his own biotech company, Roivant Sciences, in 2014. The company bought patents from larger companies for drugs not yet fully developed and marketed. 

In 2021, Ramaswamy resigned as CEO of Roivant Sciences.

Also in 2021, Ramaswamy published his bestseller, “Woke, Inc.” The book focuses on decisions by companies to base business strategy around social justice and climate change concerns. The book condemns “wokeism” and its influence on the United States. 

In 2024, Ramaswamy ran for the Republican presidential nomination. He ended his campaign after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses and then endorsed President Trump. 

After Trump was elected, he named Ramaswamy to lead the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk. Ramaswamy left the position to run for governor in Ohio. 

Ramaswamy has announced plans to address Medicaid fraud in the state of Ohio as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to combat fraud. 

His plan includes seeking approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to increase the amount of money that the state allocates to catching fraud. 

“Vivek intends to make the prosecution of Medicaid fraud a top priority and do it in a manner that allows Ohioans to keep a greater portion of the savings based on the plan that he has outlined,” said a spokesperson for Ramaswamy.

During the campaign, Ramaswamy has outraised Dr. Amy Acton. He also contributed $25 million of his own funds into the campaign during the first quarter. 

Ramaswamy’s campaign is focused on lowering costs for Ohioans and increasing opportunities for residents. 

His focus also lies in increasing wages for employees and improving the state’s education system. 

Ramaswamy has strongly condemned racism during his campaign. 

“If you believe in normalizing hatred towards any ethnic group: toward whites, towards Blacks, towards Hispanics, towards Jews, towards Indians, you have no place in the future of the conservative movement. Period,” he said at a conservative conference. 

In Ohio, a Democratic governor has not been elected in 20 years. 

Ramaswamy has been endorsed by current Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. He is also endorsed by President Trump and Vice President Vance.