Indian-American politician Vivek Ramaswamy announced his run for governor of Ohio, with a bold proposal to introduce the same civic education for all in the state.
He suggested that every high school senior in Ohio should pass the “same civics test” required for legal immigrants to become “naturalised” US citizens.
He said that this will help students better understand American values and history, fostering a sense of pride and patriotism.
“We need to teach our young people to be proud of our country and state, not ashamed of it,” Ramaswamy said. “They should learn what it means to be American and recite the pledge of allegiance. You can’t respect a country if you don’t know the basic things about it.”
Ramaswamy, 39, first gained attention as a conservative critic of liberal corporate policies. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 but dropped out after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses. Since then, he has strongly supported Donald Trump and his political agenda.
Announcing his campaign, he said, “I am honoured to announce my candidacy to serve as the next governor of the state of Ohio.”
Ramaswamy also promised to make Ohio a leader in a “second industrial revolution” in the US.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump endorsed Ramaswamy, writing on Truth Social, “Vivek Ramaswamy is running for governor of Ohio. I know him well, and he is something special. He’s young, strong, and smart… He will be a great governor of Ohio and has my complete and total endorsement!”
Elon Musk also showed his support on X, writing, “Good luck, you have my full endorsement!” Ramaswamy replied, “Thank you, Elon. Let’s roll!”
Ramaswamy, who was Trump’s rival in the GOP’s 2024 presidential race, later joined his campaign team. Although he was nominated for an administration role overseeing DOGE alongside Musk, he chose to pursue his bid for Ohio governor instead.