Entrepreneur Heather Hill is the only remaining competitor for Ramaswamy in Ohio’s Republican Primary Next May.
A week after the Ohio Republican Party voted to endorse President Donald Trump-backed Vivek Ramaswamy, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost suspended his gubernatorial campaign on May 16.
In an email to supporters, the 68-year-old Yost said he will “continue to fight for Ohio” as attorney general through the end of his term in January 2027.
Yost did not immediately endorse his rival. On May 9, after the state GOP endorsed Ramaswamy, Yost suggested the group had engaged in “a premature coronation of an untested candidate.”
The Ohio Republican primary in 2026 is on May 5. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who is term-limited, cautioned last week that one year is “a lifetime” in politics.
Yost wrote that “a steep climb to the nomination for governor has become a vertical cliff.”
“I do not wish to divide my political party or my state with a quixotic battle over the small differences between my vision and that of my opponent. I am simply not that important,” Yost added.
Amy Acton, who served as Ohio’s public health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, is running as a Democrat.
Speculation is mounting that former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will enter the Democratic primary. Brown lost his reelection bid last November when he was defeated by Trump-endorsed Bernie Moreno.
“The comeback attempt by Sherrod Brown represents a real and present danger to Ohio’s prosperity. Our state has challenges ahead, but we are not Washington, D.C. Columbus needs re-engineering, not demolition,” Yost wrote.
“Sherrod Brown and the risky progressive ideas of his party will unwind all of the good that the last 15 years of Republican leadership has brought. This is a time to protect Ohio, not a time for a family squabble,” he added.
Ramaswamy praised Yost in a May 16 statement after the announcement.
“Congratulations to Dave on running a thoughtful campaign. He has served Ohio with great dedication, and I am confident he will continue to play an important role in shaping the future of our state and our nation,” Ramaswamy said.
Ramaswamy announced his gubernatorial bid on Feb. 24, a move that had been anticipated for several weeks since he left his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the first day of Trump’s new term.
Born to Indian parents, Ramaswamy earned degrees at Harvard University and Yale Law School before he gained success as an investment partner for hedge fund QVT Financial, founded Roivant Sciences, and co-founded his own investment firm, Strive Asset Management.
He first rose to national prominence with his 2021 book “Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.”
During his presidential campaign, Ramaswamy outlined 10 core beliefs, led by “God is real,” followed by “there are two genders,” in his 2024 book ”Truths: The Future of America First.”
Ramaswamy had shown interest in the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance. Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was considered a frontrunner to become Ohio’s next governor until DeWine appointed him as Vance’s successor.
Husted faces a special election in 2026 to retain his seat for the remainder of Vance’s unexpired term. On May 9, the state GOP also voted to endorse Husted.
Ohio is a state that Trump decisively won in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Republicans have a supermajority in the state legislature.
Entrepreneur Heather Hill is now Ramaswamy’s lone competition in the Republican primary.
“My heart goes out to the Republican candidates who feel forced to drop out of the race due to the RNC/GOP’s unfair bias towards one candidate,” Hill said in a statement after the May 9 vote.
“I want to reassure Ohioans that I will not give up. I will fight tirelessly every day to ensure my name is heard and that I prioritize the best interests of all Ohioans,” she added.
Some Republican strategists think that former Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel will eventually announce his candidacy to replace DeWine.
Earlier this year, DeWine appointed Tressel as lieutenant governor to replace Jon Husted, who was tapped by DeWine to fill JD Vance’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
At the news conference announcing his new role, Tressel was asked by reporters if he would run for governor.
“I haven’t given any thought against it but I haven’t given any thought to it either,” Tressel, who also served as president of Youngstown State University in northeast Ohio, said. “I have been focused on what the governor would like me to learn and what the governor would like me to do.”
Tressel, who was the head coach of the Ohio State national championship team in 2002, said last week that he hasn’t ruled out running. The filing deadline is Feb. 4.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
