DeSantis Takes Aim at Ramaswamy After Ohio Election Disaster
Andrew Powell · Nov 6, 2026 · 2 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is questioning why Republicans backed Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s gubernatorial race, arguing that the biotech entrepreneur failed to connect with the state’s working-class voters.
According to Fox News, while speaking on the Sage Steele Show, DeSantis said Ramaswamy’s background and positions made him a poor match for a state with a strong blue-collar identity.
Ramaswamy lost to Democratic Gov.-elect Amy Acton by 7.9 percentage points despite receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump and support from prominent Republican advisers.
"I don't know why they would have pushed him to be the candidate there," DeSantis said. "Ohio is a working class state, very blue collar. You know Vivek, he's like a tech guy."
DeSantis also criticized Ramaswamy's support for changing the H-1B visa program to favor workers selected on merit rather than through the current lottery system.
"He wants to bring in foreign workers on visas. That is not the type of person that's going to sell," DeSantis said.
Ramaswamy has argued that the existing system should be "gutted." His business background also became part of the discussion, as Roivant Sciences received 29 approved H-1B applications between 2018 and 2023.
Strive Asset Management, the investment firm Ramaswamy co-founded, also relocated its headquarters from Columbus to Dallas in 2025. Ramaswamy said he was no longer involved in its operations but remained a major shareholder.
DeSantis said Ramaswamy made additional mistakes during the campaign, including decisions that further alienated voters. He pointed to the need for Republican candidates to understand the concerns of the communities they hope to represent.
The campaign also faced backlash over an attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother. The advertisement challenged Acton's account of childhood poverty and homelessness but did not disclose that she had been estranged from her mother since age 12.
Ramaswamy's defeat came alongside Republican Senate candidate Jon Husted's 4.9-point loss to Democrat Sherrod Brown. The results marked a sharp reversal from 2024, when Trump carried Ohio by 11.2 points.
DeSantis also criticized congressional Republicans, saying their failure to turn Trump's executive orders into law has left the party vulnerable.
He dismissed speculation about a 2028 presidential campaign, saying he would only seek office if he believed he could deliver significant results.
"I don't want to just be a timepiece where I just sit there like a potted plant," DeSantis said.