Vivek Ramaswamy fights uphill in US' Ohio

Indian American Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has pledged to resume executions in Ohio, loosen limits on handgun purchases by people under 21 and push a $4 billion property-tax cut, while admitting the state would not fully make up the lost revenue for schools.

Speaking at a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum on Wednesday (local time), Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, said he backs the death penalty, a break from outgoing Governor Mike DeWine’s de facto pause on executions. He said he was open to methods other than lethal injection, Signal Ohio reported.

He said the race should be “not Democrat versus Republican bickering”. He also called for data centres to be built only on abandoned industrial sites and for consolidating the state’s 14 public universities.

Ramaswamy said he had never met his Democratic rival, Amy Acton. He claimed her team had blocked a handshake between the two. The claim is his account and could not be independently verified.

There will be no debates in the race. Acton declined in early September, citing personal attacks, including AI-generated ads portraying her as an alcoholic. Ramaswamy had accepted debate invitations from WLWT and CNN.

Recent polls show Ramaswamy trailing. A CNN/SSRS poll conducted Sep 29-Oct 5 put Acton ahead 50-42. A New York Times/Siena poll from Sep 22-Oct 1 had her leading 49-45. A co/efficient poll from Oct 5-6 showed Ramaswamy ahead 45-43.

Ramaswamy has put more than $36 million of his own money into the campaign, including a fresh $5 million reported earlier this month. A super PAC backing him is funded largely by a few billionaires, Signal Ohio reported.

He has also faced a backlash over data centres and walked back an “Ohioans-First” free-electricity pledge.

President Donald Trump has rallied near Dayton for Ramaswamy, and Vice President J.D. Vance, campaigning in Lima, said Ohioans were “running against a crazy person”.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and son of Indian immigrants, ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.