With over 82% of the vote, Vivek records the strongest showing in any recent Ohio Republican primary for Governor or U.S. Senate
COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio voters delivered a decisive victory for Vivek Ramaswamy in Tuesday’s Republican gubernatorial primary election, making him the GOP nominee for governor heading into November. With over 82% of the vote, Vivek surpassed the vote-share performance of Republican candidates in all contested gubernatorial and U.S. Senate primaries in modern history.
In response to the resounding win, Vivek said: “I know the American Dream exists because I’ve lived it right here in the state where I was born and raised. We’re going to revive that American Dream in Ohio once again — with lower costs, bigger paychecks, and better schools for all Ohioans. I am grateful to everyone who helped us win today’s election by historic margins, and I look forward to a decisive victory again in November.”
The scale of Vivek’s primary victory reinforces the breadth of support his campaign has built across Ohio’s Republican electorate. By comparison, Gov. Mike DeWine won the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary with just 48% of the vote and the 2018 primary with less than 60%. Recent Republican U.S. Senate primaries were similarly competitive, with Bernie Moreno receiving just over 50% in 2024 and JD Vance winning with 32% in 2022.
Vivek’s overwhelming primary victory caps more than a year of momentum-building, driven by historic fundraising, an unparalleled statewide grassroots operation, visits to all 88 Ohio counties, and key endorsements from conservative leaders, farmers, union workers, faith leaders, Second Amendment advocates, and other conservative voices across Ohio.
Key Stats
- Resetting All Fundraising Benchmarks: With six months until the general election, the Vivek for Ohio campaign has raised $50 million — far surpassing all fundraising benchmarks set in recent gubernatorial campaigns. Compared with full-cycle fundraising totals, Vivek has already doubled Gov. Mike DeWine’s 2018 total and raised nearly 1.5x what DeWine raised in 2022.
- Grassroots-Driven Fundraising: The Vivek for Ohio campaign has received 392,347 donations from more than 120,000 unique donors, with an average contribution of just $63 — highlighting the campaign’s broad-based grassroots strength. Donors giving $200 or less account for more than 98% of all individual contributions.
- Unmatched Campaign Energy: Vivek Ramaswamy is the only candidate in the race to visit all 88 Ohio counties in the first year, and his campaign has hosted more than 130 in-state political events with a fundraising component, demonstrating unmatched campaign enthusiasm.