US Vice-President JD Vance has endorsed Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for governor of Ohio, saying his fellow Republican would make a strong leader for the state. Vance made the endorsement during a speech on Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs steel plant in Middletown, his hometown in south-western Ohio. He invited Ramaswamy to stand and acknowledge the audience before praising his candidacy for the state’s top elected office.

Vance described Ramaswamy as a “great gubernatorial candidate” and said he believed his fellow Republican would become a successful governor of Ohio. The endorsement gives Ramaswamy support from a senior figure in the Republican Party as he campaigns for the governorship. Ramaswamy previously sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 before supporting Donald Trump and becoming a prominent advocate of the President’s “America First” political platform.

The vice-president also drew laughter while recounting an internet meme involving Ramaswamy and his six-year-old son, who is also named Vivek. Vance said he took his son with him when he returned to Ohio to vote in the primary elections several weeks ago. The child participated in a mock ballot at the polling station, choosing between options such as caramel apples and watermelon, before an online post appeared to confuse him with Ramaswamy.

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Vance said the post claimed he had brought “his son Vivek” to vote and was accompanied by an AI-generated image showing him walking hand-in-hand with Ramaswamy toward a polling location. He joked that Ramaswamy would not have needed encouragement to go to the polls because his own name was on the ballot. The story provided a lighter moment during a speech otherwise focused on political and economic issues.

The event centred largely on manufacturing, trade and immigration policy, and came as Cleveland-Cliffs announced a $1 billion investment in its Middletown operations. Vance highlighted his family’s connection to the steel plant, saying his grandfather had worked there as a welder for nearly four decades when the facility operated as Armco Steel. He criticised previous political and business leaders for encouraging companies to shift production overseas and allowing foreign labour to replace American workers.

Ramaswamy, the son of immigrants from Kerala, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and studied at Harvard University and Yale Law School before entering the biotechnology and financial sectors. His entry into Ohio politics followed his 2024 Republican presidential campaign and subsequent support for Trump. Vance’s endorsement adds prominent Republican backing to Ramaswamy’s gubernatorial bid, while the candidate’s political career has also increased the visibility of Indian Americans within the Republican Party.

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