Ramaswamy Starts Ohio Campaign; His First Major Role was at DOGE, But It's Hard to Tell.
In just over a year, Ramaswamy has pursued three political positions: the presidency, a Senate appointment, and most recently, a bid for governor.
TroibNews 
CINCINNATI — During his announcement of his gubernatorial campaign in Ohio on Monday, Vivek Ramaswamy, 39, covered nearly every aspect of his biography, even inviting his childhood piano teacher and barber on stage to support him.
However, he notably did not mention his brief tenure as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, which lasted just 69 days and ended amid tensions with Elon Musk.
“President Trump is reviving our conviction in America. We require a leader here at home who will revive our conviction in Ohio,” Ramaswamy told supporters gathered in a large warehouse close to his childhood neighborhood. “That is why today I am honored to announce I am running to be the governor of a great state at the heart of the greatest nation known to mankind.”
Ramaswamy’s omission regarding DOGE is significant: His gubernatorial campaign marks one of the earliest launches for the second Trump administration in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections and serves as a potential indicator of appealing and unappealing strategies in a state that has shifted from battleground to reliably Republican.
By avoiding the mention of DOGE, Ramaswamy appeared to acknowledge the political risk associated with the cost-cutting program, particularly in Ohio, which houses around 55,000 civilian federal workers—more than any of its neighboring states.
“I know it's going to affect a lot of people,” said Andy Mauser, a 67-year-old retired truck driver who nonetheless backs DOGE’s initial efforts. “It's going to put a lot of people out of work.”
Ramaswamy’s choice not to reference his brief time with DOGE could stem from a personal desire to sidestep recognizing a political setback, as this is not his first perceived failure in a series of political pursuits. Just days before his resignation from DOGE, his allies suggested he aimed to achieve significant accomplishments in that role to showcase on the campaign trail. Currently, Ramaswamy is attempting to secure his third political position in slightly over a year, having sought the presidency, a Senate appointment to fill JD Vance's seat, and now the governorship.
When asked about the potential reasons for Ramaswamy's avoidance of the topic, Andrew Belcher, a 20-year-old Republican who traveled from nearby Miami University, pointed out the awkwardness of addressing DOGE in a state where its budget cuts could pose a political liability.
“I guess the obvious one is that he's probably running for governor, but there might have been some personal disagreements between him and Musk,” Belcher suggested.
Still, DOGE was not entirely absent from Ramaswamy’s launch event, which kicked off a series of four stops across the state. Two speakers—Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Kristina Roegner—received enthusiastic applause when they referenced the program.
“I’m looking forward to bringing O-DOGE — Ohio DOGE — to our state,” LaRose commented.
However, Ramaswamy’s criticism of “unelected bureaucrats”—an accusation some Democrats have also leveled at Musk—and his proposal to reduce 10 regulations for each new one discussed, an effort he had hoped to include in DOGE, was his closest approach to addressing the department. While cost-cutting proposals may resonate well with a Republican audience at the launch, it may be wise for him to sidestep the issue for his campaign’s success in the future.
Ramaswamy seeks to follow in the footsteps of term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who represents a more traditionalist faction of the GOP. His competitor, Dave Yost, Ohio’s attorney general and former state auditor, has also entered the race. Yost has pointed out Ramaswamy’s short stint at DOGE, stating to the Washington Post that he “quit on President Trump literally on Day 1 of his administration.”
Despite these potential criticisms, Ramaswamy did not preemptively counter that narrative in his initial remarks. Instead, he outlined various policy proposals, including a ban on cellphones in schools, while aligning himself closely with Trump, who endorsed him via social media on the same day.
Ramaswamy mentioned he spent “most of the last year” working toward Trump’s return to political power, conveniently omitting details about his lengthy primary campaign that ended after the Iowa caucuses last January. Like Trump is said to be “reviving our conviction in America,” Ramaswamy expressed his intention to “revive our conviction in Ohio.”
“If I screw something up in this speech, I can't blame my speechwriter,” he remarked. “Because you’re looking at him.”
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
However, he notably did not mention his brief tenure as co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, which lasted just 69 days and ended amid tensions with Elon Musk.
“President Trump is reviving our conviction in America. We require a leader here at home who will revive our conviction in Ohio,” Ramaswamy told supporters gathered in a large warehouse close to his childhood neighborhood. “That is why today I am honored to announce I am running to be the governor of a great state at the heart of the greatest nation known to mankind.”
Ramaswamy’s omission regarding DOGE is significant: His gubernatorial campaign marks one of the earliest launches for the second Trump administration in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections and serves as a potential indicator of appealing and unappealing strategies in a state that has shifted from battleground to reliably Republican.
By avoiding the mention of DOGE, Ramaswamy appeared to acknowledge the political risk associated with the cost-cutting program, particularly in Ohio, which houses around 55,000 civilian federal workers—more than any of its neighboring states.
“I know it's going to affect a lot of people,” said Andy Mauser, a 67-year-old retired truck driver who nonetheless backs DOGE’s initial efforts. “It's going to put a lot of people out of work.”
Ramaswamy’s choice not to reference his brief time with DOGE could stem from a personal desire to sidestep recognizing a political setback, as this is not his first perceived failure in a series of political pursuits. Just days before his resignation from DOGE, his allies suggested he aimed to achieve significant accomplishments in that role to showcase on the campaign trail. Currently, Ramaswamy is attempting to secure his third political position in slightly over a year, having sought the presidency, a Senate appointment to fill JD Vance's seat, and now the governorship.
When asked about the potential reasons for Ramaswamy's avoidance of the topic, Andrew Belcher, a 20-year-old Republican who traveled from nearby Miami University, pointed out the awkwardness of addressing DOGE in a state where its budget cuts could pose a political liability.
“I guess the obvious one is that he's probably running for governor, but there might have been some personal disagreements between him and Musk,” Belcher suggested.
Still, DOGE was not entirely absent from Ramaswamy’s launch event, which kicked off a series of four stops across the state. Two speakers—Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Kristina Roegner—received enthusiastic applause when they referenced the program.
“I’m looking forward to bringing O-DOGE — Ohio DOGE — to our state,” LaRose commented.
However, Ramaswamy’s criticism of “unelected bureaucrats”—an accusation some Democrats have also leveled at Musk—and his proposal to reduce 10 regulations for each new one discussed, an effort he had hoped to include in DOGE, was his closest approach to addressing the department. While cost-cutting proposals may resonate well with a Republican audience at the launch, it may be wise for him to sidestep the issue for his campaign’s success in the future.
Ramaswamy seeks to follow in the footsteps of term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who represents a more traditionalist faction of the GOP. His competitor, Dave Yost, Ohio’s attorney general and former state auditor, has also entered the race. Yost has pointed out Ramaswamy’s short stint at DOGE, stating to the Washington Post that he “quit on President Trump literally on Day 1 of his administration.”
Despite these potential criticisms, Ramaswamy did not preemptively counter that narrative in his initial remarks. Instead, he outlined various policy proposals, including a ban on cellphones in schools, while aligning himself closely with Trump, who endorsed him via social media on the same day.
Ramaswamy mentioned he spent “most of the last year” working toward Trump’s return to political power, conveniently omitting details about his lengthy primary campaign that ended after the Iowa caucuses last January. Like Trump is said to be “reviving our conviction in America,” Ramaswamy expressed his intention to “revive our conviction in Ohio.”
“If I screw something up in this speech, I can't blame my speechwriter,” he remarked. “Because you’re looking at him.”
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
