Vivek Ramaswamy’s planned run for Ohio governor could prove either the shrewdest political pivot of 2025 or the final gasp of a failed presidential campaign that never quite connected with its intended audience. The 39-year-old former biotech entrepreneur, recently appointed by the President-elect to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) until July 2026, now appears poised to test whether his particular brand of intellectual Trumpism can actually win elections in Trump country.
The timing couldn’t be more fortuitous. Ramaswamy’s DOGE appointment, initially viewed as an interesting consolation prize after his withdrawal from the presidential race, affords him a prominent perch from which to build credibility before Ohio’s November 2026 election. But recent controversies, particularly his misjudged remarks about American âmediocrityâ driving tech companies to hire foreign workers, suggest he may be fundamentally misreading the very voters he needs to win over.
Ramaswamyâs trajectory mirrors that of another Yale Law School alumnus who successfully used Ohio electoral success as a springboard into national politics: incoming vice president JD Vance. Both emerged from elite coastal institutions to position themselves as champions of heartland values. But where Vance’s bestselling memoir established his working-class credentials, Ramaswamy’s background as a Tamil Brahmin immigrant’s son who founded Roivant Sciences strikes a markedly different â and dissonant â chord.
His Silicon Valley connections and embrace of tech-Right positions put him increasingly at odds with the economic nationalism which drives Ohio’s Republican base. When Ramaswamy recently attempted to defend Donald Trump’s appointment of Indian-born tech executive Sriram Krishnan as AI advisor, he bizarrely cited American cultural touchstones such as Saved by the Bell and Family Matters to argue that US society wrongly âvenerates the prom queen over the math olympiad champâ. The response from MAGA influencers was predictably hostile.
This disconnect speaks to a broader challenge facing Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial aspirations. His debating skills and rapid-fire command of policy minutiae impressed many during the presidential primary, but Ohio voters historically tend to favour retail politicians who can connect on a personal level. They may prove unreceptive to Ramaswamy’s blend of philosophical Right-libertarianism and tech boosterism.
The Ohio GOP primary already promises to be crowded, with state Attorney General Dave Yost planning a February announcement and other familiar local faces circling. While Trump’s expected endorsement could give Ramaswamy an edge, recent history suggests such backing doesnât always guarantee victory. Other deeply red-state voters have shown themselves perfectly willing to buck Trump’s preferences when choosing their leaders, as happened in the likes of Colorado, Utah and South Carolina last year.
Ramaswamy’s stint at DOGE offers him a chance to build a record of actual governance rather than mere rhetoric. But even this role presents risks. His mandate to streamline federal operations could put him at odds with the trade and service-sector unions that retain influence in Ohio politics. Any budget-cutting missteps which cost them pork-barrel payouts could provoke endorsements and donations for his primary and general election opponents.
The irony is that Ramaswamy’s baseline intellectual framework for âcommon senseâ conservatism might actually resonate with Ohio’s general election voters, who have long favoured pragmatic problem-solvers over ideological purists. Yet to reach that stage, he must first navigate a Republican primary electorate who will view his tech industry ties and academic demeanour with suspicion.
Should he fail to secure the nomination, Ramaswamy risks joining the growing ranks of former Republican rising stars now relegated to guest spots as commentators on cable news. But if he succeeds in winning both the primary and general election, his pathway from failed presidential candidate to potential national leader once again opens wide. After all, Ohio remains America’s quintessential bellwether state, and its governorship has launched several presidential campaigns.
For now, Ramaswamy must leverage his position with DOGE to show Ohio Republicans that his particular brand of intellectual Trumpism can deliver concrete results for working-class voters increasingly aligning with the Right. It’s a challenge that will test not just his considerable rhetorical gifts, but also his ability to transform from Yale wunderkind and pharma bro into a genuine champion of Midwestern values. The next chapter in American conservatism may well hinge on whether he can pull it off.
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SubscribeNot sure Iâd buy a used car from him.
Unherd no one cares about this!
Get someone to write about Starmer and Hermer and their recent deeds.
Go on Unherd. Show us you aren’t Labour puppets.
Richard nobody cares about this! Show us you arenât a complete tool and write a comment that actually corresponds to the premise of the article
Unherd is like a near empty shop selling one t-shirt with Labour emblazoned on it, in ten different sizes, and there are no customers!
Just a few Labour trolls walking around down ticking!
Like him or not, Ramaswamy is very smart. I’m sure he understands his own vulnerabilities in his run for Ohio governorship. I suspect his need to prove he’s willing to fight for ordinary working people will be a restraining influence on DOGE recommendations.
Donât confuse intelligence with sense, a man can be highly intelligent but completely lacking in good sense or people skills, and in my experience often are.
Iâm not saying this applies to this lad because I donât profess to know much about him (although his statements around the yanks sing lazy and needing immigrants wouldnât fill me with confidence that he knows much outside of his own bubble) but smart people can often be too clever for their own good, thinking their opinion carries more weight or is more grounded when in reality itâs merely a result of their life experiences, much like everybody else.
Arguably sense is much more important than intelligence in a politician
Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio is to appoint his Lieutenant Governor, Jon Husted, to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by JD Vance. It had been widely expected to go to Vivek Ramaswamy, so this is a victory for Old MAGA, and even for the old GOP, over the libertarian tech bros. The two sides of the Second Trump Coalition stand for diametrically opposed things. Steve Bannon has already made it clear exactly what he thought of Elon Musk.
If the Democrats truly believed that Donald Trump was a Fascist or what have you, then at the very least they would not attend his inauguration. On Monday, they will all be there. Had he been alive, the Jeffrey Epstein might well have been there. Rumour has it that Trump may refuse to accept Peter Mandelson’s credentials, but officially because of Mandelson’s ties to the EU. Would that it were explicitly because of Mandelson’s ties to Epstein. That, though, would embarrass too many of Monday’s free lunchers.
Another at the trough will be Nigel Farage, whose party is likewise an unsustainable coalition between Old UKIP plus Failed Tories, and voters who were more likely than those of any other major party to believe that there was a class conflict in Britain and to favour a neutralist foreign policy. By the time of the next General Election, the second Trump term will be almost complete, and everyone will be able to see how these things worked out.
Is Unherd revoking the privilege of only “certain” members to comment on posts? I see only Redcoats replying!
End Digital Colonialism!
So far Vivak Ramaswamy has shown no talent for politics or governance. He’s the kind of person who is all talk and no ability to get things done. He has made a fortune, but if you look at how he made it, it’s not impressive. The man is no Elon Musk, and certainly no Donald Trump. Outside of a fanatical few, voters just don’t like him.
UPDATE: Vivak Ramaswamy has left the DOGE before it even got started. I think that illustrates my point.
OFF TOPIC: It is disappointing that UnHerd cannot seem to fix its commenting mechanics. The lack of a reply option for comments is new, but the disappearing of up and down votes is old but still unfixed. Strange how simple problems just linger and fester.
As Author reminds early in the Article Ramaswamy lacks political judgment. He’s also going to find his ego got out ahead of himself on accepting the DOGE gig.
The three big areas of Govt expenditure are Social Security, Medicaid and Defence. Tech wizardry may release some savings in the first two but the big money relates to entitlement policy and health care cost control. Neither in the gift of the DOGE or where Trump wants to go. Defence runs him into immense vested interests and the likely strategic need for expansion in supply chain rather than contraction. Plus of course Elon is going to find himself v conflicted and his business opponents won’t be slow to highlight that. (In fact the bullying tendency of Musk and Trump could actually do some good if it was put to use against elements of the military-industrial complex but they’ve too much to gain to deploy real ordnance against this bloc)
Elon is already rapidly shrinking the DOGE promises – a 50% cut in the promise to supporters only last weekend. That’s not stopped yet. Few Billion plus a Dept relocated to the Mid-West probably as far as it gets, because they’ll get bored but also run into considerable Congressional complexity they don’t have the abilities to navigate.
Peak Vivek has thus passed. Its a slide from here.
Vivak Ramaswamy has already left his DOGE position before it even officially started.
Apart from one tepid allusion it should be remembered that Ramaswamy is Indian. I was going to say “Of Indian or South Asian origin” but I won’t as it needs to sink in to the unpolitical class who occasionally comment on these pages. This inconvenient fact may make it near nigh impossible for him to win a seat in Ohio. I wonder if the author has ever been there? Although Vivek has taken on the accent and beliefs of the billionaire class in the USA, which would not rule him out of a win, the colour of his skin and his racial background would. It ain’t going to happen and I would put money on it not happening.
I would comment in agreement with T Bone, below, but like him I seem to be barred from commenting on comments. And I’m not even a Yankee.