Jon Husted, Vivek Ramaswamy endorse each other

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sen. Jon Husted and Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy formally endorsed each other Monday night in Columbus, signaling a united GOP ticket ahead of the 2026 election.

Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou fired up the crowd, asking: “Are we united around Vivek and around Jon Husted?” 

The standing-room-only audience of roughly 200 supporters responded with loud applause on a stormy night above the Scioto River.

Husted, appointed last year to the U.S. Senate seat vacated when JD Vance became vice president, is running for a full term in 2026. He previously served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor and secretary of state. 

“Tonight is about the fact that we have one team and one mission, and that mission is victory in 2026,” Husted told supporters.

Ramaswamy, a businessman and former presidential candidate, is one step closer to clearing the GOP primary field to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine after Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel announced last week he would not enter the gubernatorial race.

Each candidate endorsed the other during the event. Husted called Ramaswamy “Ohio’s next governor,” who “loves America,” while Ramaswamy praised Husted as “a friend, a patriot and a great public servant.”

The two said they were introduced to each other by Vance and became fast friends.

Both highlighted their endorsements from President Donald Trump, emphasizing an “America-First” and “Ohio-First” agenda.

“We know that President Trump will be here. Vice President Vance will be here. And all of you will be here working side by side with us to get a victory,” Husted said.

Triantafilou and Husted touted the early timing of the joint endorsement.

“Their endorsement from President Trump, their prowess on the ticket, their ability to unite us — that’s why we did it,” Triantafilou said.

It was a point that Husted also expanded on.

“The Republican Party usually doesn’t have a united ticket until May of the election year,” Husted said. “This is September of the year ahead of time — and this allows us to organize our efforts together, help turn out votes and support down-ticket campaigns.”

Husted also outlined the broader vision for the ticket.

“Leading with Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, and this team in Ohio, we are going to drive an America-First agenda that puts Ohio at the top. We’re not just going to be best in the Midwest; we’re going to be best in the nation,” he said.

Ramaswamy used the event to lay out his top five priorities as governor: keeping young people in Ohio (including potentially eliminating the state income and capital gains taxes), unlocking energy abundance, addressing the educational achievement crisis, reducing urban crime and restoring a culture of open dialogue. 

Unlike Husted and Triantafilou, Ramaswamy did not speak with reporters after the event.

On the Democrats’ side, Dr. Amy Acton, running for governor, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, seeking Husted’s Senate seat, have not formally endorsed each other. Former Congressman Tim Ryan is expected to announce soon whether he will enter the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Brown is entering the race after last year’s contest against Republican Bernie Moreno, which was the most expensive Senate campaign in U.S. history.

Ohio Democrats criticized the GOP ticket as unpopular. 

“Whether it’s a Senator who just voted to raise the cost of healthcare for Ohioans only to lie about it, or a billionaire gubernatorial candidate who calls Ohioans lazy and mediocre, Ohio Republicans officially have their most unpopular ticket in decades after assembling the ticket behind closed doors. Already, Ohioans are ready for a change and we’ll see that at the polls in 2026,” said Katie Seewer, press secretary for the Ohio Democratic Party.

“Husted voted to raise health care costs and kick nearly half a million Ohioans off their coverage — all to give billionaires the biggest tax cut in American history. Sherrod Brown will always fight for the people of Ohio,” said Patrick Eisenhauer, Brown’s campaign manager.

Acton’s campaign manager, Philip Stein, criticized Ramaswamy as “a billionaire Washington insider who doesn’t care about Ohioans struggling with rising prices and has repeatedly shown he will put politics over people.