Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel Opts to Not Run Against Vivek Ramaswamy for Governor

The announcement eases the path for the former Republican presidential candidate and billionaire biotech entrepreneur.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel talks with the media before the College Football Playoff National Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 12, 2015. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

After months of speculation that he would enter the race, former Ohio State University head football coach and current Ohio Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said on Sept. 19 that he would not run for governor.

Tressel’s decision eases the path to the state’s capital of Columbus for billionaire biotech entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who announced his Ohio gubernatorial bid in February.

“I believe that our crucial opportunities in the areas of education and workforce deserve my full attention for the remainder of my term,” Tressel wrote in a post on X.

“My goal is to help finish the amazing work started by [Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and former Ohio Lt. Gov. and current Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio)]. Ohio is winning, and it must continue!”

Tressel referenced the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge, which he started with former Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr.

“By helping students build lifelong habits around fitness, nutrition, and sleep, we’re laying the foundation for a brighter future in the classroom, in the workforce, and across every community in the Buckeye State,“ Tressel said in his post. ”This is more than a challenge; it’s a movement that will truly make a difference.”

Tressel was head coach of the Ohio State national championship team in 2002. He has also served as president of Youngstown State University.

Ramaswamy, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party, faced a challenge from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost earlier this year, but Yost suspended his campaign in May.

Entrepreneur Heather Hill was the only other candidate in the 2026 Ohio Republican gubernatorial primary until she recently announced that she was leaving the Republican Party and would continue her gubernatorial campaign as an independent or third-party candidate.

DeWine is term-limited. He chose the 72-year-old Tressel as his lieutenant governor in February to fill the spot vacated by Husted, whom DeWine chose to fill the remainder of JD Vance’s Senate term when Vance became vice president.

Husted faces a special election in 2026 to retain his seat for the remainder of Vance’s unexpired term. On May 9, the state GOP also voted to endorse Husted.

Amy Acton, who was director of Ohio’s health department early in the COVID-19 pandemic, is running as a Democrat.

Former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who was defeated by Bernie Moreno in November 2024, was a potential Democratic candidate for governor.

He opted to enter the Senate race to fill the rest of Vance’s term and reclaim his Senate seat. Brown is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Husted is running to remain in that seat.

Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy greets guests at a town hall in Cincinnati on Aug. 4, 2025. Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times

Ramaswamy was endorsed by the Ohio Republican Party earlier this year, a full year before the primary. He also gained early backing from Trump.

On Sept. 19, he was endorsed by the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, which represents more than 50,000 workers in the state and previously backed former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who lost to Vance in the 2022 Ohio U.S. Senate race.

In a statement, Ramaswamy said he was “deeply grateful” for the support.

“This isn’t about left vs. right, it’s about up vs. down,“ Ramaswamy said. ”We are building a movement that restores dignity to work, rewards those who keep our economy moving, and ensures every Ohioan has a fair shot at the American Dream.

“Together, we will make Ohio the best place in America to work, raise a family, and pursue a better life for the next generation.”

Ramaswamy set a fundraising record for the Ohio gubernatorial race when his campaign collected $9.7 million from 40,000 donors between the beginning of his bid in February to the end of June, according to Ohio campaign finance records.

Tressel’s decision leaves just one prominent person who has not announced if he will run for governor. Ryan told WBNS 10TV that he will make a decision on joining the race by the end of September.

Ramaswamy announced his gubernatorial bid on Feb. 24, a move that had been anticipated for several weeks after he left his role with the Department of Government Efficiency on the first day of Trump’s new term.

Ramaswamy had shown interest in the Senate seat vacated by Vance. Husted was considered a front-runner to become Ohio’s next governor until DeWine appointed him as Vance’s successor.

Trump won Ohio decisively in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Republicans have a supermajority in the state Legislature.