Entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy won the Ohio Republican Party's endorsement a year before the 2026 primary.

The timing of the move was opposed by the former recipient of the endorsement, Gov. Mike DeWine, who twice received the party's endorsement in 2018 and 2022. Each endorsement was also done far closer to the primary election, after a sizeable bulk of the campaign had already run its course.

After gaining the Ohio Republican Party's endorsement for governor, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has an additional leg up on any primary competitors, getting access to key resources and support.