Ohio Republicans head to the polls to pick their nominee to replace Gov. Mike DeWine.
The presumptive winner is biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-area native and Upper Arlington resident. Ramaswamy has endorsements from President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party. He also recently loaned his campaign $25 million.
Ramaswamy faces Casey Putsch, a Perrysburg businessman and YouTuber. Putsch has criticized Ramaswamy over property taxes (Ramaswamy would cut rather than eliminate them) and data centers (Ramaswamy wants to regulate them rather than ban them.)
Until recently, the GOP primary also included Heather Hill, a Morgan County school board member. However, a falling out with Hill’s running mate led him to remove them both from the ballot. Votes cast for Hill won’t count, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.
The GOP primary for Ohio governor has been a roller coaster since early 2025. Ramaswamy was initially poised to face off against Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and potentially Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel. But Yost dropped out of the race after Ramaswamy won the Ohio GOP’s nod and Tressel ultimately decided not to run.
The winner of the GOP primary will face Democratic Dr. Amy Acton, a former state health director, in the general election later this year.
Polls close in Ohio at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Check back here for updates as the election results roll in.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@usatodayco.com or @jbalmert on X.
Tell us what you think about Ohio’s governor race
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Republicans vote as Vivek Ramaswamy dominates GOP governor race
Reporting by Jessie Balmert, Columbus Dispatch / Cincinnati Enquirer
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