Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is done in President Trump The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, a source close to the millionaire biotech entrepreneur confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Ramaswamy, who was chosen by Trump in November along with Elon Musk, the world's richest person, to lead DOGE, is expected to launch a Republican campaign for governor of Ohio early next week, according to the source.
Governor of the Republican Party Mike DeWine Ohio is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026.
DeWine announced Friday that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will fill the U.S. Senate seat he has been holding Former Senator J.D. Vance Until earlier this month, when the vice president-elect resigned before his inauguration on Monday.
Musk and Ramaswamy are igniting a major war over the migration of skilled workers
Vivek Ramaswamy is seen at the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, January 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/New York Times via AP, Pool)
Before the Senate announcement, Husted was planning to run for governor in 2026 to succeed DeWine. For his part, Ramaswamy expressed his interest in working in the Senate.
DeWine's decision to select Husted to fill the vacant Senate seat appears to have accelerated Ramaswamy's move toward launching a run for governor.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced his appointment of Governor Jon Husted, right, to fill the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance at a press conference on Friday, January 17, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Julie Carr Smith)
Ramaswamy, 39, who launched his presidential campaign in February 2023, has seen his stock rise as he has transformed from a long-shot candidate into a contender for the Republican Party nomination.
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Ramaswamy campaigned on what he called an “America First 2.0” agenda and was one of Trump's biggest supporters in the field of challengers, calling Trump “the most successful president of our century.”
Vivek Ramaswamy endorses former President Trump during a campaign event in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on January 16, 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
He abandoned his bid for the White House a year ago after finishing a distant fourth in the Iowa caucuses and quickly endorsed Trump, becoming the primary surrogate on the campaign trail.
Ramaswamy's exit appears to clear the way for Musk, Trump's biggest donor and key ally, to direct DOGE without having to share the spotlight.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are leading efforts to reduce government inefficiency. (Photo by Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
The move also comes two weeks after Ramaswamy and Musk sparked a firestorm among hard-line MAGA Trump supporters over their support for H-1B temporary worker visas for highly skilled workers from foreign countries.
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Ramaswamy's comments criticizing American culture about “the veneration of mediocrity at the expense of excellence” received a lot of backlash from leading voices on the far right.
Ohio, once a major battleground state in general elections, has turned red over the past decade as Republicans take control of statewide elections.
