Abdelrahman
Columbus, Ohio (AP) — Just after Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced his bid for governor in Ohio earlier this week, President Donald Trump took to social media to share his support for the biotech entrepreneur and former co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency, who hails from Cincinnati.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Ramaswamy, describing him as “something SPECIAL” and highlighting his qualities as “Young, Strong, and Smart!”
“Vivek is also a genuinely good person who truly cares about our Country,” the president expressed. “He will be an EXCELLENT Governor for Ohio, will not disappoint you, and has my FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL ENDORSEMENT!”
The timing of Trump’s endorsement caught the attention of political analysts in Ohio, as they observed a shift in Trump’s strategy regarding key statewide races, with endorsements now coming earlier — extending from days before the elections to now more than a year in advance.
Robert Clegg, a veteran Republican campaign strategist in Ohio, indicated that Trump’s early endorsement might serve as a warning to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who is pursuing the Republican nomination, or even to the newly appointed Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, a beloved former Ohio State Buckeyes football coach whose political intentions remain uncertain.
“This seems quite premature, and I anticipated an endorsement perhaps later this year, maybe in the fall or even waiting until January,” Clegg remarked. “I wonder whether the president aims to avoid a fierce primary battle here in Ohio.”
In the past, Trump has kept Republican candidates in a state of anticipation, such as during Ohio’s contentious 2022 U.S. Senate primary. He made his endorsement just 19 days before the election, supporting JD Vance, who subsequently secured the GOP nomination and won the general election that fall.
A year later, Trump endorsed Bernie Moreno for Senate three months ahead of the primary, leading him to victory in both the primary and the general election.
In this instance, Trump wasted no time. His support is expected to bolster Ramaswamy’s early campaign efforts as he navigates concerns about his relative lack of statewide political experience in a state that has consistently favored Trump in recent elections. Before this announcement, Ramaswamy, who previously sought the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, had gathered key political advisors who had aided Vance during his Senate campaign in 2022, in addition to receiving endorsements from two statewide officials and prominent national conservatives, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee.
Despite his backing, the outcomes of Trump’s endorsements in gubernatorial races have varied. For instance, while his endorsement significantly helped Greg Abbott in Texas win, it did not have the same effect for Scott Walker in Wisconsin. In 2022, it did facilitate Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ victory in Arkansas, yet it failed to secure a win for Kari Lake in Arizona.
Tom Zawistowski, a leader in Ohio’s tea party movement, believes that Trump’s anticipated support for Ramaswamy prompted Jon Husted, previously thought to be the likely front-runner for the governorship, to accept an appointment to Vance’s former Senate seat.
“The reality is that Jon Husted struggled to compete against a Trump endorsement and a well-funded challenger like Vivek,” he stated. “This is the current state of affairs — and then, out of nowhere, here comes Jim Tressel. Only in Ohio politics.”
Zawistowski speculated that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine chose Tressel as Husted’s replacement to have an establishment Republican ready to step in should Yost’s campaign struggle to gain traction by summer.
Yost, who is term-limited, quickly painted Ramaswamy as potentially unreliable.
“I welcome Mr. Ramaswamy to the race, regardless of how long he chooses to stay,” Yost remarked in a statement. “We’ll see if he actually remains in — Mr. Ramaswamy abandoned President Trump and DOGE on Day 1, left Ohio to relocate his company to Texas, and dropped out of the presidential race after a disappointing fourth-place finish in Iowa.”
Supporters of Yost, represented by the Buckeye Freedom Fund super PAC, have already begun attacking Ramaswamy, accusing him of aligning with Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, on issues concerning transgender individuals in the military. A spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign responded, claiming that when one campaign possesses endorsements from Trump, Elon Musk, and numerous other conservative figures, “lesser campaigns are left with no option but to distort the truth.”
Zawistowski described Tressel — who has held roles as both a college football coach and a university president — as an “institutionalist,” suggesting he could attract substantial financial support from Ohio State alumni and football fans, known collectively as Buckeye Nation. He mentioned that the state’s MAGA supporters are highly enthusiastic about Trump, Musk, and DOGE, but he could foresee efforts from opponents to sway both moderate Republicans and Democrats towards backing Tressel in the upcoming GOP primary, instead of Democratic contender Amy Acton when her party holds its primary.
To mitigate such a scenario, Zawistowski theorized that Trump’s quick endorsement of Ramaswamy was a strategic move.
