Gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has announced Rob McColley as his running mate. After campaigning as an outsider who would shake up a broken system, Ramaswamy picked one of the most entrenched insiders in Ohio politics, a lawmaker closely tied to rewriting the rules to protect Republican power, cutting taxes for the wealthy, and steering public money to billionaires while schools and communities are told to get by with less.

This isn’t a move to expand his coalition or reassure skeptical voters. It’s a signal that when under pressure, Ramaswamy falls back on the same Statehouse power structure he claims to oppose.

This guide provides clear messaging, key talking points, and resources regarding Ramaswamy’s campaign and his chosen Lieutenant Governor.

• Question Ramaswamy’s intentions. Isn’t this choice against everything he preaches? Everyday Ohioans will be left behind while his millionaire buddies get tax breaks. 

• Explain how Rob McColley is not a coalition-builder, but a disciplined Statehouse operator whose rise has been driven by internal power.

• Emphasize that Ramaswamy and McColley would be a deadly duo. They would focus on what is best for the rich and powerful. 

• Remind people where Ramaswamy has always stood: Against worker rights, diversity and environmentalism.

• Tell people that a Ramaswamy/McColley administration will continue looking out for the wealthy elites while Ohioans deal with sky high housing and healthcare costs.

• Ramaswamy campaigned on standing up to elites (from his private jet) and putting everyday Ohioans first. Then he picked Rob McColley as his running mate who’s been siphoning money from everyday Ohioans and giving it to his billionaire donors.

• McColley was the primary architect of the August 2023 Issue 1 ballot measure, which would have required a 60% yes vote to pass a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment. The measure, widely defeated by voters, would have denied Ohioans the opportunity to enact policy priorities ignored by Columbus, and was aimed squarely at undermining abortion rights.

• As Ohio Senate President, Rob McColley was a central figure in the 2025 redistricting process that further ignored the will of voters and expanded upon one of the nation’s most extreme partisan gerrymanders. The move handed Trump three additional GOP-leaning congressional seats and drew what many believed was a winnable congressional seat for himself by moving the boundaries of a Toledo-anchored district long held by Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur.

• As Senate President, McColley oversaw a $600 million giveaway of taxpayer funds to the billionaire owners of the Cleveland Browns at the same time lawmakers failed to fully fund public schools and other vital priorities.

• McColley also pushed a massive tax cut for the wealthy, putting additional pressure on the state’s general revenue fund, further limiting future investment in schools, infrastructure and communities.

• Ramaswamy and McColley have taken money from Ohio’s families, seniors, and communities to fund their billionaire donors and keep them happy. Ohioans are already stretched thin, we can’t stretch our budgets anymore to pay for Republican rulers.

SOUND THE ALARM:  

• Use your voice to call out Ramaswamy’s discrepancies and let people know what he actually stands for: THE ELITE.

PUBLISH OP EDS & LTES:

• Write to your local paper about Ohio’s gubernatorial election and why people should inform themselves about Vivek Ramaswamy. 

• Stress the bottom line: Ramaswamy has no interest in improving the lives of everyday Ohioans and choosing McColley as his LG just furthers this notion.

Ramaswamy Content

• Vivek Ramaswamy taps Ohio state Senate president as his running mate in campaign for governor - NBC News

• Vivek Ramaswamy rebrands himself as a ‘conservative without being combative’ - CNN

• Senate President Rob McColley Statement Following Completion of Veto Override on Critical Property Tax Reform - The Ohio Senate 

• Ohio Senate GOP moves to give wealthiest Ohioans tax cut - Ohio Capital Journal

• Republican Senators move toward August vote to make amending Ohio's constitution harder - WVXU

• Inside the Ohio Democratic Congressional heist - The Rooster

• Can they do that? Ohio Senators propose novel, if questionable, Browns stadium funding plan - Ohio Capital Journal

• Ohio Senate GOP moves to give wealthiest Ohioans tax cut - Ohio Capital Journal