President Donald Trump and DOGE chief Elon Musk have both issued endorsements for Vivek Ramaswamy’s run for Ohio governor.
39-year-old Ramaswamy, who ran against Trump in the Republican 2024 presidential primary before joining forces with the president, announced his gubernatorial bid on Monday.
The successful entrepreneur is seeking to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in the 2026 election.
Trump announced his endorsement in a post on Truth Social.
“VIVEK RAMASWAMY is running for Governor of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote.
“I know him well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL.
“He’s Young, Strong, and Smart!” he continued.
“Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country.
“He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
Musk, a senior advisor to Trump, also offered Ramaswamy his “full endorsement” a short time later.
Responding to Ramaswamy in a post on X, Musk said:
“Good luck, you have my full endorsement!”
Good luck, you have my full endorsement! https://t.co/HfuiunGLs4
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2025
Musk and Ramaswamy were initially slated to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) when Trump returned to the White House last month.
However, Ramaswamy exited the newly formed cost-cutting department ahead of Inauguration Day as he prepared to launch his campaign for governor.
DOGE is, of course, still led by Musk.
Speculation swirled after Ramaswamy’s departure from DOGE about a possible falling out between him and Musk.
However, Ramaswamy has denied those allegations.
Ramaswamy formally declared his candidacy during a rally on Monday in his hometown of Cincinnati.
“I will lead Ohio to become the state of excellence in America,” Ramaswamy told the crowd.
“Think that sounds unrealistic? It’s not,” he said.
“In fact, it wasn’t long ago that Ohio was that state.
“Today, young people on the internet make fun of something by saying ‘that’s so Ohio.’
“But less than a century ago, people weren’t making fun of Ohio, they were aspiring to be Ohio.”
WATCH:
I am honored to officially announce my candidacy to serve as the next Governor of Ohio. pic.twitter.com/HFIR3dLspe
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) February 24, 2025
Ramaswamy dropped out of the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination to endorse Trump and become a surrogate for the current president.
