CLEVELAND — Vivek Ramaswamy’s move this week toward a run for governor of Ohio did not clear or freeze the Republican field the way someone so closely and visibly aligned with President-elect Donald Trump ordinarily might.
The biotech entrepreneur — whose work leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency alongside billionaire Elon Musk has yet to officially begin — is expected to launch a campaign soon, two sources with direct knowledge of his plans told NBC News.
“Vivek’s base plan remains [the] same: to get accomplishments at DOGE and then announce a run for governor shortly,” an Ohio operative familiar with his thinking wrote in a text message.
Ramaswamy’s path was, in theory, eased Friday when Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, another Republican eyeing the governorship, to the Senate seat recently vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance. But at least two other GOP officeholders with statewide name recognition — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and state Treasurer Robert Sprague — were already preparing their own campaigns for governor to succeed the term-limited DeWine.
After Husted’s appointment Friday, and amid the subsequent buzz surrounding Ramaswamy, Yost and Sprague signaled that their plans not only have not changed, but that they have intensified.
Yost’s team confirmed he has recruited Justin Clark, a veteran of Trump’s campaigns and his first administration, to be the general consultant for his soon-to-launch bid for governor.
“Justin is nationally recognized for winning some of the most hotly contested races in the country,” said Amy Natoce, a Yost spokesperson and senior adviser. “As a longtime adviser to President Trump, he knows what it means to work with conservative America First candidates like Dave Yost. His experience is invaluable and we’re thrilled to have him on our team.”
Yost on Friday night also blasted out a text message to his followers promoting his trip to Washington, D.C., for Trump’s inauguration.
“As your next governor, I’ll work with President Trump to advance his America first agenda,” Yost wrote. “Look out for a special announcement soon about my candidacy for governor!”
Sprague, meanwhile, filed paperwork Friday with the Ohio secretary of state that specified he plans to seek the governorship — a move that a spokesperson confirmed was a prelude to an official announcement.
“I’ll keep fighting to reform a broken system, protect our freedoms, and make Ohio the Midwest’s economic powerhouse,” Sprague posted on X. “The people of this state deserve bold, proven leadership, and I look forward to sharing my vision for Ohio in the weeks ahead.”
While Yost and Sprague aren’t backing down, one veteran Ohio Republican strategist who has worked on gubernatorial campaigns there said Ramaswamy’s personal wealth and well-established ties to Trump could make him hard to beat — even against known electoral quantities.
“Vivek’s blank check and appeal to conservatives that he has built puts him in the pole position,” said the strategist, who was granted anonymity to share candid observations about an unsettled field in which Trump could wield enormous influence.
Husted had figured to be a leading candidate for governor and long had ambitions for the job after two terms as DeWine’s lieutenant governor, two terms as Ohio secretary of state and his earlier work as state House speaker. But DeWine, aware of a potentially bruising GOP primary brewing for his close ally, tapped him to fill the vacancy left by Vance.
