Some Ohio residents say they are not exactly sold on Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy’s promise to “fix” the state, pointing out that his own party has been running things for years without addressing the problems he now wants to tackle.
The criticism surfaced in the r/Ohio subreddit after an article from TiffinOhio.net examined Ramaswamy’s campaign message and the Republican Party that has controlled the state government for much of the past three decades.
According to the outlet, Ramaswamy has positioned himself as a candidate who can bring a “fresh approach” to Ohio. Part of his campaign pitch for governor focuses on issues such as reforming Medicaid, lowering electricity costs, tackling property taxes, and overhauling parts of the university system.
The problem some Ohioans see is that the status quo he wants to change has largely been shaped by his own party.
Republicans have reportedly held considerable power in Columbus for years. Democrats briefly controlled the Ohio House during the 2009-2010 legislative session, but Republicans took it back beginning in 2011 and have maintained control since. The GOP has also held the Ohio Senate throughout that period.
That history is at the heart of the criticism surrounding Ramaswamy’s promise to change the state. While he has never held office in Ohio and therefore wasn’t personally responsible for the decisions made by previous administrations and legislatures, some residents aren’t separating his campaign from the party that has controlled the state for years.
There are also plenty of familiar faces from Ohio politics standing behind his campaign. TiffinOhio.net reports that his running mate, Rob McColley, has spent years in the General Assembly and currently serves as president of the Ohio Senate. Ramaswamy has also received support from prominent Republicans in the state, including Gov. Mike DeWine.
Ohio Residents Challenge Ramaswamy’s Pitch
For several Reddit users, the party’s long hold on state government was precisely the point.
“A Republican is going to fix this Republican dominated state that is in need of fixing because Republicans messed it all up? Yeah sure bro,” one person wrote. “If that were the case, why doesn’t Vivek attack current state leadership, if they’re so bad?” another asked. A third said, “If Republicans have been in power for 30 years in Ohio, what’s stopped them from fixing the problems that Ohio has?… Time to vote them out.”
A fourth alleged, “Republicans like to get elected so they can steal, and don’t give a [expletive] about the majority of their citizens.”
Some also had things to say about Ohio voters who have continued supporting Republican candidates. One commented, “The voters keep failing for the lies that it is the dems fault somehow.” Another said, “Anyone voting for him doesn’t seem to bother to know absolutely anything, as long as he’s got that R next to his name, that’s good enough.”
Someone else directed their criticism at those voters themselves, writing, “If you decide to vote for Ramaswamy on the assumption that he’s going to fix 30 years of Republican corruption and misrule in this state, YOU are the problem.”
The criticism on the subreddit is only a snapshot of reaction to the article and does not necessarily represent Ohio voters more broadly. Ramaswamy comfortably secured the Republican nomination for governor in May with more than 80% of the vote and will face Democratic nominee Amy Acton in November.
Whether the frustration seen among these Reddit users is reflected more widely among Ohio voters will ultimately be decided at the ballot box.
