It’s an earlier-than-usual endorsement from the party, coming nine months before the state’s Feb. 4, 2026 filing deadline for the May 5, 2026 primary.
The party also endorsed U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who will have to run in 2026, potentially fending off Republican challengers, to defend the Senate seat he was nominated to earlier this year.
“We are proud to endorse Senator Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy because they have proven that they will fight tirelessly for the people of Ohio,” said Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou in a news release. “They are focused on securing Ohio’s future — growing our economy, protecting our communities, defending our freedoms, and standing up to the radical left’s agenda.”
The press release touted Ramaswamy’s plans “to take on the bureaucracy, restore parental rights, and return power to Ohio communities.”
Ramaswamy expressed gratitude for the endorsement in a post on X: “We’re laser focused on growing our Republican voter base & delivering a decisive victory in ‘26. This isn’t about left vs. right. It’s up vs. down. We’ll work hard to earn every last vote,” he posted.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Friday’s endorsement takes some wind out of the sails of a potential gubernatorial run from Tressel, the national championship-winning former Ohio State University football coach who was picked to replace Husted in DeWine’s administration. NBC News reported Thursday that Tressel was indeed considering a run.
Yost congratulated Ramaswamy Friday on the endorsement.
“The Attorney General is going to take a few days to consult with key supporters about the path forward — but the people of Ohio deserve a choice, not a premature coronation of an untested candidate," his campaign said in a statement.
Heather Hill, an entrepreneur and long-shot GOP gubernatorial candidate from Appalachian Ohio framed the early endorsement as a telling sign of the GOP’s unwillingness to hear out other candidates.
“This is a year premature. It’s taking away our rights to have a primary, it its taking away our ability to pick and choose who we see fit to run our state,” Hill said in a video posted to YouTube.
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Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
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