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Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is done in President Trump Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, a source close to the billionaire biotechnology entrepreneur confirmed to Fox News Digital.
And Ramaswamy, who along with Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, was tapped in November by Trump to run DOGE, is expected to launch a Republican campaign for governor of Ohio early next week, according to the source.
Republican governor. Mike DeWine of Ohio is term limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026.
DeWine announced Friday that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted would fill the U.S. Senate seat he held former Senator J.D. Vance until earlier this month, when the vice president-elect resigned before Monday’s inauguration.
MUSK AND RAMASWAMY IGNITION THE MAGA WAR OVER THE IMMIGRATION OF SKILLED WORKERS
Vivek Ramaswamy at the 60th presidential inauguration in the rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, January 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
Before the Senate announcement, Husted had planned to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. Ramaswamy, for his part, had expressed interest in joining the Senate.
DeWine’s decision to tap Husted to fill the vacant Senate seat appeared to accelerate Ramaswamy’s move toward launching a gubernatorial bid.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announces the appointment of Lt. Governor Jon Husted, right, to fill the US Senate seat previously held by Vice President-elect JD Vance at a press conference on Friday, January 17, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. . (AP Photo/Julie Carr Smyth)
Ramaswamy, 39, who launched his presidential campaign in February 2023, saw his stock rise as he went from a long shot to a contender for the Republican nomination.
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Ramaswamy campaigned on what he called an “America First 2.0” agenda and was one of Trump’s biggest supporters in the field of his rivals, calling Trump “the most successful president of our century.”
Vivek Ramaswamy endorses former President Trump during a campaign event in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on January 16, 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
He abandoned his White House bid a year ago after a distant fourth place in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming a leading surrogate on the campaign trail.
Ramaswamy’s departure appears to clear the way for Musk, Trump’s top donor and key ally, to run DOGE without having to share the spotlight.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are leading the effort to reduce government inefficiency. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The move also comes a couple of weeks after Ramswamy and Musk sparked a firestorm among Trump’s hardcore MAGA supporters for their support of H-1B temporary worker visas for highly skilled workers from foreign countries.
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Ramaswamy’s comments criticizing an American culture that he said “revered mediocrity over excellence” received much criticism from leading voices on the far right.
Ohio, once a major general election battleground, has turned red over the past decade as Republicans have dominated state elections.
