The race is on: Ramaswamy, Acton announce their running mates

The presumptive candidates in November’s governor’s race have announced their lieutenant governor picks.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy announced on Wednesday that Ohio Senate President Rob McColley will serve as his running mate in the 2026 election. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton also announced that former Ohio Democratic Party chair David Pepper will be her running mate.

Ramaswamy, who is expected to breeze through a May primary, officially announced his decision in a Wednesday morning press release, though multiple news outlets had leaked the information on Tuesday. A formal rally is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Cleveland.

“I’m excited to announce Rob McColley as my running mate to be the next lieutenant governor of Ohio,” Ramaswamy said in the release, describing himself as “an entrepreneur, not a politician,” and calling McColley a “governing partner who can help advance our ambitious legislative agenda.”

Ramaswamy added that McColley is “a proven conservative leader” committed to making “the American Dream a reality for every Ohioan.”

According to the campaign, the Ramaswamy-McColley ticket focuses on policies to put “more money in Ohioans’ pockets,” improve education, and reduce crime.

“Ohio needs a businessman, not a bureaucrat; a creator, not a quitter; a visionary, not a victim,” McColley said. “That leader is Vivek Ramaswamy.”

McColley also highlighted personal impressions from an earlier meeting with Ramaswamy, saying he was struck by “watching him interact with his two sons and loving wife,” adding that, as “a man of deep Christian faith,” that resonated with him.

The campaign highlighted McColley’s legislative record, including his unanimous election as Senate president in January 2025 and his support for tax cuts, regulatory reform, and legislation to prevent future COVID-19 shutdowns.

State and national Republicans celebrated the recent decision on social media. Among the politicians were U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Attorney General Dave Yost, and Rep. Josh Williams.

As expected, Ohio Democrats criticized the Ramaswamy-McColley ticket. After Ramaswamy announced his pick, Acton revealed her own choice for lieutenant governor.

“Proud to announce that David Pepper will be my running mate,” Acton wrote in a post to X.

I'm proud to announce @DavidPepper as my running mate! Together, we share a lifelong commitment to public service, and I'm thrilled to have him by my side in the fight to lower costs, tackle corruption, and ensure that every Ohioan can thrive. Let’s do this. pic.twitter.com/IznRAgkgxT

— Dr. Amy Acton (@amyactonoh) January 7, 2026

In her statement to News 5 Cleveland, Acton added that Pepper and she share “a lifelong commitment to fighting for Ohio’s working families and making our state a more affordable place to live for all of us.”

“David is an innovative and pragmatic leader who has been laser-focused on delivering for Ohioans for his entire career, from reducing the property tax rate for Cincinnatians to tackling foreclosures during the 2008 recession,” she said. “I am thrilled to have David by my side in the fight to lower costs, tackle corruption and special interests, and ensure that every Ohio family can thrive and enjoy the quality of life we all deserve.”

After Ramaswamy made his decision, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine formally endorsed Ramaswamy for governor and McColley for lieutenant governor, prompting some to question whether DeWine influenced Ramaswamy’s final decision.

“With the election year upon us, I am joining Republicans across Ohio in supporting our dynamic ticket for Governor, led by Vivek Ramaswamy,” DeWine said in his press release.

DeWine also said that McColley was “a great pick” who brings experience and “geographical balance to the ticket.”

The endorsement followed months of speculation after DeWine had previously declined to back Ramaswamy early in the race.

Acton’s selection of David Pepper as her running mate drew a simple response from Ramaswamy’s campaign: thanks.

“Vivek’s choice of Rob McColley for lieutenant governor couldn’t be more different from Democrat Amy Acton’s selection of David Pepper—a perennial political loser who has consistently done more to help Republicans than Democrats in Ohio—and it’s just the latest example of no Democrat with any measurable political success wanting to run against Vivek,” Vivek for Ohio Chief Strategist Jai Chabria said in a statement.

“Ohio voters have repeatedly rejected David Pepper for political office, including for mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio auditor of state, and Ohio attorney general, where he managed to get just 38 percent of the vote,” Chabria added. “As the former Ohio Democratic Party chairman, Pepper’s ‘political machine’ lost every statewide constitutional office in 2018, and he oversaw President Trump’s landslide wins in 2016 and 2020.”