Ramaswamy says personal wealth frees him from special interests as Acton touts fundraising

Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Tuesday that his personal wealth lets him remain independent of lobbyists and special interests, as Democratic opponent Amy Acton continues to criticize his billionaire status.

Speaking at a Faith & Freedom event in Westerville last week, Ramaswamy argued that his financial independence would allow him to answer to Ohio voters rather than political donors.

“I’m the most financially independent candidate ever to run. I don’t report to special interests. I report to you, the people of this state,” Ramaswamy said.

“The only special group I care about are the voters, and they are special.”

Acton’s campaign has emphasized its fundraising success while criticizing Ramaswamy for using his personal fortune to finance his gubernatorial bid.

In an Oct. 8 fundraising announcement, Acton’s campaign reported raising more than $13.2 million during the third quarter, bringing its total fundraising to nearly $32 million.

The campaign said it received contributions from more than 185,000 individual donors, with more than 95% of contributions totaling $100 or less.

Acton’s campaign also highlighted that she had outraised Ramaswamy for three consecutive quarters, describing him as a “self-funding billionaire.”

“My opponent villainizes me,” Ramaswamy said. “She lies about me constantly, but she villainizes me for my success.”

Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, introduced Ramaswamy at the event and argued that corporate lobbyists have too much influence over Ohio politics.

“I’ve been working in Ohio public policy for 10 years, and I hate to tell you, but the corporate lobbyists run everything,” Baer said.

“Vivek Ramaswamy is the biggest donor to his own campaign,” Baer said. “He doesn’t care what the teachers’ unions say. He doesn’t care what the deep pocket lobbyists say.”

According to an Oct. 13 Ohio Capital Journal report, Ramaswamy has committed more than $36 million of his personal wealth to his gubernatorial campaign. Much of that money has been provided through loans, which could be repaid using future campaign contributions.

The report also found that Acton outraised Ramaswamy through individual contributions during July, August and September, although his personal loans gave his campaign a financial advantage.

Acton has also questioned whether Ramaswamy’s business interests would influence his decisions as governor. In an Oct. 2 statement, Acton criticized Ramaswamy’s financial interests in data centers, arguing that Ohio needs a governor who prioritizes residents over wealthy corporations and special interests.

Ramaswamy addressed data center development during the event, pledging to halt new projects until Ohio establishes additional requirements to protect local communities. He also called for greater transparency, limits on tax abatements and measures to prevent data centers from increasing residents’ utility costs.

Both candidates are seeking to succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who cannot run for another consecutive term because of term limits.