Ramaswamy made DOGE, Ohio gubernatorial campaign launch expected early next week: sources

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was made part of President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program, a source close to the billionaire biotech entrepreneur confirmed to Fox News Digital.

And Ramaswamy, along with Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, was hired in November by Trump to direct the DOGE, is expected to launch the Republican campaign for the governor of Ohio early next week, according to the source.

GOP Gov. Ohio’s Mike DeWine has term limits and cannot seek re-election in 2026.

DeWine on Friday announced that Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will fill the US Senate seat held by former Sen.

MUSK AND RAMASWAMY FIGHT A WAR OF WORDS OVER STAFFING

Before the Senate announcement, Husted had planned to run for governor in 2026 to replace DeWine. Ramaswamy expressed interest in serving in the Senate.

DeWine’s decision to pick Husted to fill a vacant Senate seat appeared to accelerate Ramaswamy’s move to launch a gubernatorial bid.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces his appointment as Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, right, to fill the US Senate seat previously held by Vice President-elect JD Vance at a news conference on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, Columbus, Ohio. . (AP Photo/Julie Carr Smyth)

Ramaswamy, 39, who is launching his presidential campaign in February 2023, has seen his stock rise as he moves from front-runner to front-runner for the Republican nomination.

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Ramaswamy has campaigned for what he calls “America First 2.0” and has been one of Trump’s biggest supporters on the campaign trail, calling Trump “the most successful president of our century.”

Vivek Ramaswamy greets former President Trump during a campaign event in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on Jan. 16, 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

He abandoned his bid for the White House last year after finishing a distant fourth in the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Trump, becoming the campaign’s top official.

Ramaswamy’s exit appears to pave the way for Musk, Trump’s biggest donor and key ally, to direct DOGE without having to share the limelight.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are leading the effort to reduce government inefficiencies. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The move also comes weeks after Ramswamy and Musk sparked a firestorm among Trump’s staunch MAGA supporters with their support for H-1B temporary worker visas for high-skilled workers from foreign countries.

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Ramaswamy’s comments criticizing American culture for “valuing gentleness over virtue” have received pushback from leading voices on the right.

Ohio, once a battleground for national elections, has turned red over the past decade as Republicans dominate statewide elections.