Last Updated:
Vivek Ramaswamy gains major donors who once backed Tim Ryan, raising record funds and earning early Ohio GOP support, signaling a political shift ahead of the gubernatorial race.
Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. (AFP)
Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is highlighting endorsements from an increasing number of influential donors who previously supported Democrat Tim Ryan — a move his campaign says signals a significant political shift in the Buckeye State.
According to Ramaswamy’s team, nearly $220,000 of the contributions raised in his first months as a candidate came from individuals who previously gave to Ryan, the former congressman from Youngstown who is weighing a bid for governor.
Recommended Stories
Ryan has not officially declared a gubernatorial bid and has said he will decide by the end of the year, Fox News reported.
Some of the best-known business leaders in Youngstown and Northeast Ohio, long part of Ryan’s donor network, have now switched sides.
Ramaswamy’s campaign pointed to donors such as Caryn and Sam Covelli, prominent Mahoning Valley business leaders who contributed $10,000 to his bid after previously giving over $59,000 to Ryan across multiple election cycles, and Bruce Zoldan, a Youngstown-area businessman who donated $5,000 to Ramaswamy after having contributed more than $53,000 to Ryan.
Another business leader, Adam Thomarios, gave $10,000 and is hosting an upcoming fundraiser after contributing nearly $17,000 to Ryan. Anthony Manna contributed $10,000 after donating nearly $25,000 to Ryan between 2005 and 2021, according to Ramaswamy’s campaign. Regina Mitchell hosted a fundraiser and gave more than $13,600 to Ramaswamy after a prior $2,700 contribution to Ryan in 2017.
Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of Edwards Companies and Installed Building Products in the Columbus area, along with his wife, Lisa, donated about $33,000 to Ramaswamy this cycle after giving $5,800 to Ryan in 2022.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Jai Chabria, Ramaswamy’s chief strategist, said that the donor movement is about more than campaign finance. He said Ohioans who once trusted traditional Democratic leadership are embracing Ramaswamy’s message of economic growth and new ideas after decades of disappointment.
According to him, voters are leaving behind “a tired model” that did not deliver and are backing someone who represents prosperity and reform.
“It’s a very interesting thing where people who have been – who have donated to Democrats, and especially someone like Tim Ryan, and they’re flocking to Vivek,” Chabria told Fox News Digital. “There’s actually a movement where people are actually moving over not just to Republicans, but to Vivek specifically because he’s got such a message of growth, of economic growth.”
He said the momentum is evident not just in fundraising figures but also in the growing grassroots excitement across the state.
“I think, like many people in Ohio who were promised one thing under these institutions, and by institutions I mean people that have been elected over and over and over again and didn’t deliver for people, I think people are coming to see that someone else with fresh ideas is what they need to invest in rather than the tired old model that didn’t deliver for the state,” Chabria told Fox News Digital.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou reinforced the point, describing the donor shifts as “impressive” and evidence of Ramaswamy’s strength as a candidate. He said that former Ryan supporters now view Ramaswamy as a leader dedicated to workers, bringing manufacturing back to the U.S., and bolstering Ohio’s energy independence.
Triantafilou also emphasised the GOP’s early endorsement of Ramaswamy in May – more than a year before the primary – as unprecedented. He said it helped solidify a coalition that has powered Republican victories statewide.
After highlighting the defections from Ryan’s donor base, the Ramaswamy campaign is also drawing attention to its financial achievements. Between February and June, Ramaswamy reported raising $9.7 million — which his team says is a record for an Ohio gubernatorial candidate in the year leading up to a general election. In addition, an allied super PAC has contributed another $17 million.
Chabria described that first report as only the “tip of the iceberg,” predicting that the next filing will show an even bigger number.
Both strategists framed the fundraising gains and donor defections as evidence of a broader coalition that transcends traditional party lines. Chabria said Ramaswamy’s background in business appeals to donors because he understands their perspective, while his detailed policy agenda shows he is prepared to govern without a steep learning curve.
He highlighted the priorities such as energy independence, improving Ohio’s schools and tackling crime in cities as issues resonating with small and large donors alike.
“The crime in our cities is – it’s appalling. And it’s something that Vivek wants to bring all leaders together to actually try to address because people need to be able to be safe in their own homes. And in too many places, they don’t feel that way,” Chabria told Fox News Digital. “I mean, Democrats, Republicans, independents, they all need to feel safe in their homes, in their cities. So it’s definitely not a partisan issue, but sometimes it becomes one. But Vivek, I think he’s gonna try to rise above it and try to bring all people together and really listen to everybody and then try to offer real concrete solutions to this issue.”
Triantafilou emphasised that Ramaswamy’s platform resonates strongly with working-class voters, pointing to his plans on manufacturing, education, and scrapping the state income tax to boost Ohio’s competitiveness. He noted that these proposals directly appeal to middle-class residents, including union workers, postal staff, and delivery drivers, who stand to gain from reduced taxes and improved economic prospects.
Generational change is also part of the message. At 40, Ramaswamy represents “a new era of leadership,” Triantafilou said, contrasting him with Ryan, whom he described as emblematic of Democrats focused on cultural debates rather than the economic concerns of ordinary voters. He argued that Ryan, who lost a Senate race to then-first-time candidate JD Vance in 2022, is “yesterday,” while Ramaswamy represents “tomorrow.”
Republicans are already signalling how they would draw a contrast if Ryan decides to run for governor. Triantafilou dismissed him as “inauthentic,” accusing him of posing as a moderate in Ohio while consistently siding with the left in Washington. He argued that Democrats are disconnected from voters on issues like crime and education and predicted that if Ryan entered the race, he would be outspent, outworked, and ultimately defeated.
“Tim Ryan represents kind of what’s wrong with the Democratic Party,” Triantafilou told Fox News Digital. “Tim Ryan will put on a hunting jacket and be on TV, and then he goes to D.C. and votes with AOC and with the left of the party.”
For now, Ramaswamy’s campaign is working to build on its early momentum. Events are lined up through the fall, including an October fundraiser hosted by Thomarios in Akron, as the team seeks to grow its reach across Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, and other cities. Backed by record fundraising, key donor defections from Ryan’s camp, and an early endorsement from the Ohio GOP, Republicans say Ramaswamy has firmly established himself as the front-runner for 2026.
United States of America (USA)
September 07, 2025, 22:41 IST
Loading comments…
Read More
