Trump-backed Ramaswamy wins Ohio governor primary, setting up a competitive Nov. race

Stephen Zenner/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Wealthy biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has won the Ohio Republican primary for governor, according to a race call by The Associated Press.

He took an aggressive but traditional route to securing the nomination. On President Trump's inauguration day, Ramaswamy announced he was leaving the president's newly created Department of Government Efficiency. That evening, Trump threw his support behind Ramaswamy with what he called his "complete and total endorsement."

Tuesday, Ramaswamy won with 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 hasn't been elected governor in 20 years, the race looks competitive. The Cook Political Report, which tracks elections, shifted the race from one Republicans were likely to win, to one that just leans 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. She played a major role in Ohio's response to the COVID pandemic, signing orders from DeWine that restricted in-person gatherings, shut non-essential businesses, and closed K-12 schools. Republicans have called her "Dr. Lockdown" and have used her pandemic response to campaign against her. DeWine has defended Acton's work as health director, even though he's endorsed Ramaswamy, and has said pandemic-related decisions "were made by the governor".

Her campaign has focused on the high cost of living, an issue that has left voters disgruntled with Republicans. She's called for child tax credits, reducing prescription drug costs, lowering utility costs and helping Ohioans stay on Medicaid, among other things.