Vivek Ramaswamy wins Ohio GOP primary, setting up tight governor race

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican former presidential candidate, won his primary race for Ohio governor on Tuesday, setting up a closely-watched contest in November’s election.

The biotech entrepreneur, who was endorsed by Donald Trump and briefly co-led Trump’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) with Elon Musk at the start of the president’s second term, beat Casey Putsch, the internet personality, to land the nomination.

He was given a late lift by Trump on Tuesday, who called the 40-year-old Ramaswamy on social media “Young, Strong, and Smart!”. He will square off in the 3 November general election with Dr Amy Acton, who won the Democratic nomination unopposed.

Putsch, a political novice who became famous for his series of “car guy” videos on YouTube, had targeted Ramaswamy’s south Asian heritage in campaign ads, but was trounced on Tuesday, winning less than 20% of the vote.

Ramaswamy’s upcoming contest against Acton, who was Ohio’s health director during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be much more competitive, and expensive. No Democrat has won the state since the former governor, Ted Strickland, in 2006, but the party remains hopeful of a flip.

The Cook Political Report in March changed its prediction of the governor’s race to succeed the term-limited Mike DeWine from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican”.

DeWine, meanwhile, endorsed Ramaswamy in the primary, but defended Acton – whom Republicans have nicknamed “Dr Lockdown” – against criticism for her tenure as state health director during the pandemic, insisting that decisions were made by his office.

Acton is running a campaign focused largely on the high cost of living in Ohio, and has previously attacked Ramaswamy’s perceived allegiance to Trump. She has also spoken of her rough childhood, overcoming poverty, homelessness and sexual abuse while growing up in Youngstown.

Her background presents a contrast with Ramaswamy, who was a multimillionaire in his 20s, and whose fortune from his biotech enterprises has reached $2.4bn, .