Ramaswamy rebrands himself to get DeWine’s endorsement in the 2026 gubernatorial election

Vivek Ramaswamy has allegedly decided to rebrand himself as a more moderate candidate to secure the endorsement of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, according to a new report.

The move might make it easier for the Cincinnati native and Republican candidate to win over more moderate voters in the Buckeye State during the 2026 gubernatorial election.

Ramaswamy, who has become well known for opinions that split Republicans and centrists, recently decided to shift focus to governance, economic growth, and education reform rather than discussing hot-button culture-war issues, according to CNN.

Among the ideas that Ramaswamy previously espoused were raising the voting age to 25, abolishing the FBI, claiming that climate change is a “hoax,” and abolishing property taxes.

Advisers close to Ramaswamy told the news source that they view DeWine’s endorsement as critical to securing more politically moderate suburban Republicans and business leaders who are allegedly concerned about his past talking points.

The apparent shift came after DeWine announced earlier this month that he would postpone endorsing Ramaswamy because he still needed to speak with him further before making a final decision, adding that he expects to endorse a Republican candidate.

“I want to get a better understanding of his positions, what his vision is, and I would say the discussions have been good,” he said. “Obviously, I want to talk to him about some of the things that I see, as well.”

DeWine’s comments came after a poll by Emerson College found that former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, who is running as a Democrat, leads Ramaswamy.

The drop in popularity could be explained by Ramaswamy previously proposing “year-round” schools and being connected to a tech company that criticized President Donald Trump, who previously endorsed Ramaswamy.

DeWine also praised Acton, defending her against criticism of Ohio’s COVID-19 response, repeatedly stating that she was not responsible for the pandemic lockdown decisions and pushing back against Republican attacks that frame her as the person who locked people inside their homes and shut down businesses during 2020.

“The buck stops with me,” DeWine said. “I got advice from her. I got advice from people around the country.”

Aside from Trump, Ramaswamy was also endorsed by Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, who dropped out of the race.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost also suspended his gubernatorial campaign after the Ohio Republican Party formally supported Ramaswamy. However, unlike Sprague, Yost didn’t endorse Ramaswamy, going as far as saying that the Republican Party made a mistake when they endorsed Ramaswamy.