Vivek Ramaswamy is reportedly quitting his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ahead of an expected run for governor of Ohio.
Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2024, was slated to head DOGE alongside tech magnate Elon Musk. Originally the brainchild of Musk, DOGE is to serve as an outside advisory group to the White House on cutting government waste.
Ramaswamy has yet to make a public announcement about either DOGE or a gubernatorial run, though he plans to announce his bid for Ohio governor next week, according to POLITICO. Last week, Ramaswamy shared a post on X from a parody account floating a Ramaswamy gubernatorial bid, calling it “not a bad idea.”
On Monday, the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, Ramaswamy posted a photo of him and Musk, the two heads of DOGE, celebrating “a new dawn.”
The rumors about Ramaswamy’s candidacy come after he met with Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine earlier this month about potentially filling Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat. DeWine passed over Ramaswamy in favor of his lieutenant governor, Jon Husted. Husted’s appointment clears a significant hurdle for Ramaswamy in a potential run for Ohio’s governor.