Democratic Ohio Lt. Gov. candidate David Pepper attacks Ramaswamy endorsement without providing a solution as pension debate looms

Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s lieutenant governor pick, David Pepper, is trying to paint Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy as being against unions and workers because he endorsed state Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, for Ohio treasurer.

Ramaswamy endorsed Roegner on Jan. 17, with the Summit County Republican Party announcing the endorsement publicly. Roegner thanked Ramaswamy in a social media post.

“Thank you, Vivek Ramaswamy, for the trust you’ve placed in me to be Ohio’s next Treasurer of State!” she wrote. “Let’s go win and do great things for Ohio.”

However, Pepper argued that the endorsement reflects broader disagreements over labor policy, public pensions, and property taxes, and he extensively criticized the presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate’s endorsement in a thread on X.

“Ramaswamy has spent months trying to convince people he supports workers and unions,” he wrote. “He just endorsed Kristina Roegner for Ohio Treasurer. And she has a terrible history of being anti-union and anti-worker,” he alleged.

Pepper argued that the treasurer’s office plays a significant role in overseeing Ohio’s public pension systems and said Roegner’s legislative record makes her unfit for the position.

“When given a choice, this is who Vivek Ramaswamy tells Ohio he wants to be our next Treasurer—a post with immense power over, among other things, the pensions of public workers she has spent years attacking,” he wrote.

Pepper’s criticism comes as Ohio’s public pension systems face longstanding financial and legal challenges. Lawmakers in recent years have debated changes to pension funding and benefits, including attempts to amend the State Teachers Retirement System.

One active proposal, House Bill 473, would eliminate “pension pickups,” a practice in which employers pay the employee share of retirement contributions.

Supporters argue that the change would improve transparency and relieve pressure on local government budgets, while opponents contend that it weakens collective bargaining agreements and effectively shifts costs to workers.

Neither Pepper nor Acton provided a solution to the pensions problem that they could implement if Ohioans elect them at the end of this year.

The exchange also extended to property taxes, another major political issue in Ohio. Ramaswamy has blamed Democrats for high property taxes, writing on X that “Ohio Democrats want higher property taxes & higher income taxes that reduce your take-home pay.”

Ohio Democrats want higher property taxes & higher income taxes that reduce your take-home pay. But at least now they’re admitting it openly. https://t.co/PjaTFzTEtc

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 23, 2026

Pepper responded to Ramaswamy by saying that Ohioans should blame Republicans instead.

“Ohioans know that the reason property taxes are up across our state is because of the GOP statehouse,” he wrote. “For years, they’ve handed out money to special interests, pushed the burden down to property taxpayers, and hoped that nobody notices.”