Vivek Ramaswamy seeks Ohio Indian American backing amid shaky gubernatorial race

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy is courting Ohio’s sizable Indian American electorate, but his campaign’s recent missteps have turned the race into a toss-up.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Cincinnati-born entrepreneur whose parents immigrated from Kerala, secured Donald Trump’s endorsement and captured 82% of the Republican primary vote for Ohio governor. Despite this early advantage, his campaign has stumbled over remarks that seemed to denigrate American workers, a Fourth of July vacation in Paris, and the arrest of a bodyguard on drug charges, prompting the Cook Political Report to label the race a toss-up.

Support among Ohio’s Indian American community is mixed: a longtime priest at one outlet Temple of Dayton says he will vote for Ramaswamy, while a Columbus-based attorney and Democrat criticizes his out-of-touch image. The Ohio chapter of the Americans4Hindus PAC, however, has endorsed him, citing pride in his heritage and entrepreneurial success. Ramaswamy will face Democrat Amy Acton, former state Covid-19 response head, in the November election. The outcome could signal how ethnic voting blocs influence statewide contests in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in twenty years.