US Election 2024

Ramaswamy gains Ohio donors who previously backed Tim Ryan for governor

September 7, 2025

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Ramaswamy gains Ohio donors who previously backed Tim Ryan for governor

Republican Ohio Gubernatorial Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Gains Support from Former Tim Ryan Donors

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Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is celebrating a significant shift in political support as he gains backing from prominent donors who previously supported Democrat Tim Ryan. This transition underscores a major change in the political landscape of the Buckeye State.

According to Ramaswamy’s campaign, nearly $220,000 of the funds raised in his initial months as a candidate originated from individuals who had previously contributed to Ryan, the former congressman from Youngstown who is considering a gubernatorial run. Notably, well-known business leaders in Youngstown and Northeast Ohio, who were once part of Ryan’s donor circle, have now switched allegiance to Ramaswamy, as reported by Fox News Digital.

Vivek Ramaswamy arrives as people wait for President Donald Trump to welcome the 2025 College Football National Champions from Ohio State University to the White House during a ceremony on the south lawn on April 14, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The campaign highlights individuals like Caryn and Sam Covelli, Bruce Zoldan, Adam Thomarios, Anthony Manna, and Regina Mitchell, among others, who have now thrown their support behind Ramaswamy after previously contributing to Ryan.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Jai Chabria, Ramaswamy’s chief strategist, emphasized that the shift in donors signifies a broader movement towards a message of economic growth and innovative ideas. He believes that voters in Ohio are moving away from traditional Democratic leadership towards a candidate who embodies prosperity and reform.

See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"

Vivek Ramaswamy steps on stage at CTL Aerospace on Feb. 24, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ramaswamy launched his Ohio gubernatorial campaign during the event. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou echoed these sentiments, describing the donor shifts as impressive and reflective of Ramaswamy’s strength as a candidate. He highlighted the GOP’s early endorsement of Ramaswamy more than a year before the primary, emphasizing the coalition that has propelled Republican victories statewide.

As the Ramaswamy campaign continues to gain momentum, with record fundraising and support from former Ryan donors, Republicans are positioning Ramaswamy as the front-runner in the upcoming 2026 election.