Indian-American Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy has won the GOP nomination for governor of Ohio, putting himself in a high-stakes contest in November against Democrat Amy Acton.The biotech entrepreneur eked out a comfortable victory over small business owner Casey Butsch in Tuesday’s primary, advancing to the general election in the key Rust Belt state of Ohio.Ramaswamy will now face Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Public Health, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The race is expected to be closely monitored at the national level.In his victory speech, Ramaswamy thanked voters “for getting us to this point,” adding that “the real destination is in November.”Earlier, US President Donald Trump supported Ramaswamy and praised him in a post, calling him “something special. He is young, strong and smart!” In a longer message, Trump said, “Vivek Ramaswamy is running for governor of the great state of Ohio… I know Vivek well, and running against him is something special. He is young, strong, and smart! Vivek is also a very good person, and truly loves our country… Vivek Ramaswamy will be a great Governor of the State of Ohio, and he will have my full and total support – he will never let you down!”Laura Loomer also congratulated Ramaswamy on his victory in the Ohio Republican Party primary for governor, describing it as a major victory.“Tonight was a blow to Woke Reich and the Tucker-backed candidate who tried to undermine Vivek because he is brown,” she added. Ramaswamy, who gained national attention during his 2024 presidential bid, later supported Trump. His primary campaign largely targeted Acton despite facing Republican opponents. Meanwhile, Acton became known for leading Ohio State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ohio’s current governor, Mike DeWine, is not seeking re-election due to term limits. With both candidates now confirmed, the November election is set to become a major political contest.
