Vivek Ramaswamy intends to run for governor of Ohio, according to a person with knowledge of his thinking, but does not plan to immediately leave his high-profile role at Donald J. Trump’s government efficiency project.
Mr. Ramaswamy told Ohio allies of his plan after the state’s governor, Mike DeWine, named Ohio’s lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Vice President-elect JD Vance.
Mr. Ramaswamy, who ran for president in the 2024 primary and lives near Columbus, had been considered for the Senate seat, and Mr. Trump had recently told him that he would be a good fit, should it be offered. Mr. DeWine, who cannot seek a third term under Ohio law, met with Mr. Ramaswamy last weekend, the governor said.
For now, Mr. Ramaswamy plans to continue working alongside Elon Musk at the new Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He hopes to make some progress before turning his attention to the governor’s seat, which becomes open in 2026.
The billionaire entrepreneur is already engaged in the high-profile government cost-slashing project. He and Mr. Musk have taken meetings together on Capitol Hill and have announced grand — and many believe unrealistic — plans to cut $2 trillion out of the federal budget. But given Mr. Musk’s vastly larger wealth and profile, it has not been an equal partnership, and Mr. Musk’s top lieutenant, Steve Davis, largely oversees the effort.
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