Mike DeWine endorses fellow Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in election for Ohio’s next governor

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Mike DeWine connected Wednesday endorsed chap Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to win him arsenic politician successful 2027.

“Ohio is winning caller business projects from nan coasts, and Vivek will support nan momentum going,” DeWine said successful a statement. “Vivek Ramaswamy knows that Ohio is nan champion authorities to build a business, raise a family, and prosecute your imagination of nan American dream.”

Ramaswamy, a 2024 statesmanlike campaigner and entrepreneur from suburban Columbus, cleared nan GOP superior section of each important opposition early past year. However, Casey Putsch, a Northwest Ohio car builder and social-media influencer, entered nan title past month and has been attacking Ramaswamy from nan right.

DeWine’s backing of Ramaswamy isn’t that surprising, fixed that Ramaswamy is nan frontrunner successful nan GOP gubernatorial superior race, and that nan term-limited politician has many times hinted that specified an endorsement is coming.

At nan aforesaid time, DeWine told reporters past period that he has held disconnected connected making specified an endorsement until he could person further discussions pinch Ramaswamy.

“I want to get a amended knowing of his positions, what his imagination is, and I would opportunity those discussions person been good,” DeWine said. “And, obviously, I want to talk to him astir immoderate of nan things I spot arsenic well.”

DeWine has besides not precisely been a vocal cheerleader of Ramaswamy, whose Trump-style populist style stands successful opposition to DeWine’s quieter, constitution conservatism.

The politician reportedly unsuccessfully pushed Ohio Republican Party leaders to clasp disconnected connected handing Ramaswamy an early statement endorsement past May, amid speculation that DeWine’s lieutenant governor, Jim Tressel, mightiness participate nan race. (Tressel ruled retired a tally successful September).

He besides resisted calls to name Ramaswamy to nan U.S. Senate, alternatively picking his governmental acolyte, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. DeWine spokesperson Dan Tierney said astatine nan time that nan politician wanted “somebody who really wants to do nan activity of nan Senate,” arsenic opposed to personification “primarily doing activity connected societal media aliases connected a speaking circuit” -- a class that Ramaswamy, a predominant keynote speaker and cablegram news guest, would fresh into.

In addition, Ohio Democrats’ gubernatorial nominee this twelvemonth will apt beryllium Amy Acton, who arsenic authorities wellness head during nan COVID situation became a family sanction crossed Ohio by appearing pinch DeWine during nan governor’s regular televised briefings.

Last month, DeWine undercut Republicans’ astir predominant onslaught statement against Acton – that she was responsible for shutting down businesses and requiring Ohioans to enactment astatine home. “The decisions that were made during COVID, they were my decisions, truthful nary 1 should blasted personification other if they don’t for illustration it. The subordinate stops pinch me,” nan politician said astatine nan time.

DeWine’s endorsement comes a time aft Ramaswamy’s run announced that he has picked Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, a Napoleon Republican, arsenic his moving mate. DeWine called McColley a “great pick” and “a beardown leader who is good respected by nan members of nan General Assembly. He knows Ohio and brings geographical equilibrium to nan ticket.”

DeWine’s endorsement isn’t needfully an unalloyed positive for Ramaswamy, arsenic galore wrong his statement person soured connected nan politician acknowledgment to his coronavirus policies and different actions, specified arsenic vetoing authorities successful early 2023 to prohibition transgender aesculapian curen for minors and prohibit transgender students from playing women’s sports.

Jeremy Pelzer has worked successful nan Columbus bureau of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer since 2013. Prior to that, Pelzer worked for Gongwer News Service successful Ohio and covered authorities and authorities successful Illinois,...