Vivek Ramaswamy is leaving President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency to run for governor of Ohio, leaving tech billionaire Elon Musk to run the initiative alone unless someone else is selected, sources confirmed Monday.
Ramaswamy met with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who is not seeking reelection because of term limits, last month about filling the Senate seat being vacated by Vice President JD Vance, but DeWine chose his Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Vance's seat, Politico reported.
The source close to Ramaswamy said the entrepreneur, a former 2024 presidential candidate, expects to kick off his race for governor next week.
Trump is expected to endorse Ramaswamy, giving him an edge in a growing GOP primary.
Husted's appointment to the Senate removes at least one person from the primary race.
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, a Democrat, has also announced she will run for governor.
Ramaswamy, a graduate of law schools at Harvard and Yale, is the founder of a pharmaceutical company and asset management firm. He is leaving as friction was being reported between him and DOGE staff, reported CBS News, with one source saying that "Vivek has worn out his welcome."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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