(The Center Square) – Ohio’s Republican race for the gubernatorial nomination should officially add a third person next week.
Former presidential candidate and Cincinnati businessman Vivek Ramaswamy filed paperwork with the secretary of state late last week to begin accepting campaign contributions. He’s expected to formally announce his campaign for governor on Monday, with stops reportedly planned in Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus and Cleveland.
Attorney General Dave Yost and former Morgan County Board of Education President Heather Hill have already announced a Republican run for governor.
Gov. Mike DeWine cannot run again because of term limits. Last week, former Ohio State national champion football coach Jim Tressel was sworn in as lieutenant governor.
Tressel has not said if he plans to run for governor next year.
Tressel replaced Sen. Jon Husted, who replaced Vice President J.D. Vance in the U.S. Senate.
Ramaswamy has already received endorsements from current Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who announced a bid for state auditor in 2026, and current State Treasurer Keith Sprague, who is running for secretary of state.
Former Republican State Sen. Niraj Antani and Democrat Dr. Bryan Hambley have announced they are running for secretary of state.
State Auditor Keith Faber has announced he is running for attorney general.
Born in Cincinnati, 39-year-old Ramaswamy spent a little less than a year running for the GOP nomination for president in 2024. After dropping out in February 2024, he endorsed the eventual winner, President Donald Trump.
Forbes has estimated Ramaswamy’s net worth at $1.1 billion.
He was initially part of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency but pulled out of that shortly before Trump was inaugurated.
In November, Ramaswamy announced his financial services firm was moving from Columbus to Dallas.
The only Democrat announced for statewide office in the 2026 election is Dr. Amy Acton, who has declared to run for governor.