Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has brought on Vice President JD Vance’s top political advisers ahead of his expected bid for Ohio governor, a source familiar confirmed to The Hill.
NBC News first reported that the pair had been in talks over the last two weeks ahead of the hirings, a signal that Vance’s team is getting behind Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial aspirations.
Ramaswamy is set to launch his bid mid-February, per the source familiar, to succeed term-limited Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) in 2026.
The Vance advisers joining onto Ramaswamy’s effort are Andy Surabian and Jai Chabria, NBC News reported, along with Vance ally Arthur Schwartz and pollster Tony Fabrizio.
The former presidential candidate last week departed Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) commission, an advisory group focused on cutting federal spending, which he’d been tapped to lead alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE,” Ramaswamy wrote Monday on the social platform X. “I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio. Most importantly, we’re all-in to help President Trump [make] America great again!”
The Hill reported earlier this month on Ramaswamy’s plans to run for the governor’s mansion, though one source at the time had said Ramaswamy’s plan was to “get accomplishments at DOGE” before announcing his campaign.
A DOGE spokesperson, Anna Kelly, told The Associated Press last week that Ramaswamy “intends to run for elected office soon, which requires him to remain outside of DOGE.”
Ramaswamy is a biotech entrepreneur and former White House contender who, even as he ran against Trump for the GOP nod in 2024, has called Trump “the best president of the 21st century.” He was floated in talk of who could join Trump’s ticket before Vance got the job.
Ramaswamy was also reportedly considered to fill the Senate vacancy left open as Vance exited the upper chamber, but DeWine ultimately picked Lt. Gov. Jon Husted (R) for the slot.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) jumped into the gubernatorial race last week, the first major GOP candidate to declare a bid, and pledged to “support President Trump’s agenda.” Trump notably won the state last November by 11 points.
