Ramaswamy to run for Ohio governor on merit pay for teachers, spending cuts, deregulation

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is set to jump into the race for Ohio governor with a platform focused on merit pay for public school teachers, spending cuts and deregulation.

His campaign announced is expected to take place on Monday.

Trump had tapped Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Ramaswamy the lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Ramaswamy stepped down to prepare for the governor's race.

“President Trump, Elon and I had a great relationship but talked about exactly where each of us was going to drive maximum change for the country,” Ramaswamy said ahead of his campaign announcement , according to NBC News. “And, for me, I believe that leading from the front here in Ohio and setting an example for the rest of the country and, frankly, even bringing some of the principles of efficiency and spending and deregulation to our state would be the way that I as a leader would be able to have the biggest impact.”

Ramaswamy was asked if cutting certain programs to reduce spending could backfire on the GOP.

“I think the way we’re going to do it in Ohio, the way we’re going to run the state, is going to be, I believe, wildly popular with everyone who is a parent and has skin in the game for the next generation,” he said.

On education reform, he endorsed "merit-based pay for teachers, merit-based pay for principals, administrators and superintendents" in the state.

“The best teachers deserve to be paid much more than they are right now, and yet they’re not, because there’s no meritocracy in compensation. That would make the state the magnet for the best educators across the country,” he said.