ASHLAND — Ohio Governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke to Ashland residents on Friday about his vision for Ohio if he is elected in 2026.
“And what we want in the state of Ohio, what we want right here in Ashland, is to revive that American dream for our young people. That American dream is real. I know it exists because I have lived it. I’ve lived in Ohio. My parents came halfway around the world to Cincinnati,” Ramaswamy told listeners.
Ramswamy’s vision for Ohio is making it a great place for the younger generations to live, work and prosper. He said that will be accomplished through embracing AI, semiconductor production, nuclear energy and natural gas production and more.
“If Silicon Valley led the way for the last 10 years, we’re going to make sure it is the Ohio River Valley for the next 10 years,” he said.
“The way I look at it is God has blessed our state with every natural gift we could wish for to be the state that leads the United States of America back to greatness,” he said.
His visit was part of his campaign efforts ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, election. That’s when Ohio voters will decide on the next Governor to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine. Right now, Ramaswamy’s only Democratic opponent is former Ohio Health Department director Amy Acton.
Ramaswamy touched on:
- Lowering property taxes
- Ensuring every child who finishes third grade can read
- Create career pathways for high school graduates
- Building more homes to bring down the cost of living
Ramaswamy’s visit to Ashland was the result of Ashland Mayor Matt Miller reaching out to him a few weeks ago asking him to visit. Miller introduced Ramaswamy to the crowd, and Rep. Melanie Miller led the group in prayer and in the singing of the National Anthem prior to Ramaswamy’s speech.
During his speech, a group of homeschooled children stood behind Ramswamy as he spoke largely about Ohio’s future generations. The kids also led the Pledge of Allegiance.
(The story continues after the photo gallery.)
Ramaswamy takes questions from Ashlanders
At the end of his speech, Ramaswamy took a few questions from attendees before heading to a private meeting with his team. One attendee asked Ramaswamy: “What changes to the business environment do you want to make?”
Ramswamy said he planned to get rid of the capital gains taxation, the long-term earnings from the sale of assets, such as property or company shares. He said this is a way to bring new businesses to the state.
“I actually want this to be the toughest state for a proprietor, a business owner to be sued with frivolous litigation in the country that start their businesses here in Ohio. So those two [things] will get done very quickly [if elected,]” Ramaswamy said.
He also mentioned another initiative that he is calling “buckeye birthright,” which he said is going to “create hard financial incentives for the young people who choose to remain here and join our workforce and stay here for multiple decades to participate in the compounding of the market to really generate wealth for every one of those young people.”
He also said that in the “long run” he wants Ohio to be a zero income tax state, and he wants to put a cap on property taxes.
“I think you should not pay more in your property taxes than you do, for example, in the principal or interest repayments on your mortgage,” he said.
But, he also told listeners that the elimination of property taxes could be on the ballot next year.
“A lot of people in Columbus are scared. ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen if we lose $20 billion in property taxes.’ I’ll tell you it’s my job as a governor, and I will pledge tonight to say that if that ballot measure does pass, it is my responsibility as the leader of the state to make it work, and we will,” he said.
If the measure does pass, Ramaswamy will not fully eliminate income tax.
Another listener asked Ramaswamy if he was concerned about the legalization of recreational cannabis in the state, which passed nearly two years ago.
He told her the ballot measures “are what they are,” but his concern was with the “mental health epidemic,” which he believes is part of the reason why people turn to drugs, such as cannabis.
“I think we need to keep young people protected from the modes of addiction, the training and the patterns of addiction that start young,” he said.
“The family, the education system and then the cultural tone that we set fulfills that need for purpose of belonging and meaning in our young people so they don’t turn to porn or drug addiction or cellphone addiction or now coming AI-based exploitation,” he said.