Vivek Ramaswamyhas won the 2026 Republican gubernatorial nomination in his home state of Ohio, the Associated Press reports.
Ramaswamy, who grabbed national attention when he ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out and becoming a top surrogate for President Donald Trump, on Tuesday defeated longshot rival Casey Putsch, an automotive entrepreneur.
His victory sets the stage for a high-profile general election battle for governor in the key midterm Midwestern battleground state.
Now, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader who is backed by Trump will face off in November's general election against Democrat Amy Acton, a doctor and researcher who served as director of the state Department of Health from 2019 to 2020.
Acton was unopposed as she captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Ohio.
The winner in November will succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.
Once a top general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to the right over the past decade, with Trump carrying the state by 11 points in the 2024 election. But polls indicate this year's race for governor between Ramaswamy and Acton will be very competitive.
Vice President JD Vance traveled to his home state this morning, stopping at a polling station in Cincinnati to cast a ballot in Ohio's primary.
Vance, who served as senator from Ohio before stepping down after winning election in 2024 as vice president, confirmed to reporters that he cast a ballot for Ramaswamy.
