Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy reportedly will run for Ohio governor in 2026.

Ramaswamy, a 39, a Cincinnati native, wants to replace term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine, sources told The Washington Post.

"The statement is drafted. It is ready," one person was told by Ramaswamy, the Post reported. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Ramaswamy will announce a gubernatorial bid "shortly."

President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on Monday, chose Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to head the advisory Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a nongovernmental task force assigned to find ways to reduce federal spending and the massive number of regulations.

Trump has said DOGE's work must be completed by by July 4, 2026.

"Vivek's base plan remains [the] same: to get accomplishments at DOGE and then announce a run for governor shortly," an Ohio operative told the Post.

Ramaswamy had been mentioned as a contender to replace Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, who will serve as Trump's vice president. Vance, who had served as U.S. senator since January 2023, resigned last week.

Politico reported Friday that DeWine will appoint the state's lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, to Vance's former seat in the upper chamber.

Ramaswamy ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but dropped out last January and endorsed Trump.

With Trump's expected endorsement, Ramaswamy could have an edge in a GOP primary, the Enquirer reported. State Attorney General Dave Yost has indicated he will run for governor, though Husted's appointment to the U.S. Senate removes at least one person from the field.

Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, a Democrat, recently announced she will run for governor.

Ramaswamy, after graduating from Harvard and Yale Law School, founded a pharmaceutical company and asset management firm.

Reuters contributed to this story.

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