Ohio donors ditch Tim Ryan, pour nearly $220K into Vivek Ramaswamy’s governor bid

Exclusive – Republican Ohio Governor Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy His campaign, once supported the support of prominent donors of Democrat Tim Ryan, who said the development highlighted a major political shift in Buckeyes.

According to Ramaswamy’s team, nearly $220,000 of his contributions raised in his first few months as a candidate came from former congressman Ryan, who was bidding for the governor. Ryan has not officially announced the governor’s bid and said he will make a decision by the end of the year.

Youngstown and Northeast Ohio Fox News Digital learned that a large portion of Ryan’s donor network has now been converted into another.

Ramaswamy’s campaign highlights names including Caryn and Sam Covelli, the main business leaders in the Mahoning Valley who gave Republican candidates $10,000 after donating more than $59,000 to Ryan. Youngstown regional business leader Bruce Zoldan gave Ramaswamy $5,000 after donating more than $53,000 to Ryan.

Exclusive: Ramaswami lowers the “anti-law enforcement culture” after brutal Cincinnati beating

Another business leader, Adam Thomarios, has donated $10,000 and will hold a fundraiser after nearly $17,000 to Ryan. According to Ramaswamy’s campaign, Anthony Manna gave $10,000 after donating nearly $25,000 to Ryan between 2005 and 2021. Regina Mitchell hosted a fundraiser and donated more than $13,600 to Ramaswamy after donating $2,700 to Ryan in 2017.

Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of Edwards Companies and installed construction products in the Columbus area, donating about $33,000 to Ramaswamy after donating $5,800 to Ryan in 2022.

Jai Chabria, chief strategist at Ramaswamy, told Fox News Digital that the donor movement is more than just campaign finance. He said Ohioans who once trusted traditional democratic leadership are embracing the message of Ramaswami’s disappointed economic growth and new ideas after decades of disappointment. In his opinion, voters are leaving behind “tired models” that are not delivered and support those representing prosperity and reform.

“It’s a really interesting thing, and those who have donated to Democrats, especially those like Tim Ryan, who flock to Vivek, which is a very interesting thing,” Chabria told Fox News Digital. “In fact, people are actually transferring a movement not only to Republicans, but especially because he has this information about growth and economic growth.”

He believes that this momentum can be seen not only in financial reports, but also in grassroots enthusiasm throughout the state.

“I think, like many people in Ohio, they get one thing under these agencies, and I mean, I mean, people who are elected over and over without delivering for people, I think people are seeing other people having new ideas about people they need to invest in, not old models that are tired for the state, not for the state,” Chabria News told Fox News News.

Ohio Republican Chairman Alex Triantafilou echoed this, saying the donors had shifted “impressive,” a sign of Ramaswamy’s strength as a candidate. He said former Ryan supporters now see a leader dedicated to workers in Ramaswamy, refocusing manufacturing and strengthening Ohio’s energy independence.

Triantafilou also highlighted the Republican early recognition of Ramaswamy in May – over a year Before the primary election – unprecedented. He said that helps consolidate a coalition that has been pushed for Republican victory across the state.

Fox News Digital approached Ryan for comments.

After focusing on the deficit in Ryan’s ranking, the Ramaswamy movement also highlights its own financial milestones. Ramaswamy reported $9.7 million raised between February and June, and his team said it was the largest amount collected by Ohio gubernatorial candidates the year before the election. The Allied Super PAC increased by $17 million.

Ramaswamy promises “rule of law” to revive Cincinnati mob attacks

Chabria called the first report “the tip of the iceberg” and predicted that the next document would show a larger number.

Both strategists portray fundraising and donor flips as part of a wider coalition that crosses traditional political boundaries. Chabria said Ramaswamy’s business background attracted donors because he understood their views, and his detailed policy agenda showed that he was ready to govern without a steep learning curve. He notes such as energy independence, improving Ohio schools and addressing crime in cities, because it resonates with small and large donors.

“The crime in our city is shocking. Vivek wants to unite all leaders and try to solve the problem because people need to be able to be safe in their own homes. In so many places, they don’t feel that way.” “I mean, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, they all need to be safe in their own homes and the city feels safe. So, it’s definitely not a partisan issue, but it can be a problem at times. But Vivek, I think he’s going to try to go beyond it and try to unite everyone and then really listen to everyone and then try to provide a real concrete solution to this problem.”

Triantafilou stressed that Ramaswami’s agenda had broad working class appeal, citing his advice on manufacturing, Education and Eliminate state income taxes to make Ohio more competitive. He said the ideas speak directly to middle-class Ohioans, including union workers, postal employees and delivery drivers, who can benefit from lower taxes and better economic conditions.

Generation changes are also part of the news. Triantafilou said Ramaswamy represented a “new era of leadership” at the age of 40, comparing him with Ryan, who described him as a symbol of the Democratic Party, focusing on cultural debate rather than the economic concerns of ordinary voters. He argued that Ryan lost the Senate race in 2022, then the first candidate JD Vance, who was “yesterday” and Ramaswamy stands for “tomorrow.”

If Ryan enters the governor’s race, Republicans are already previewing the comparison. Triantafilou criticized him for being “unreal”, accusing him of being mild in Ohio poses when he voted in Washington. He said Democrats were inconsistent with voters on the issue of crime to education, and Ryan was expected to be eliminated, exhausted and eventually defeated.

“Tim Ryan represents the Democratic Party’s issues,” Triantafilou told Fox News Digital. “Tim Ryan will wear a hunting jacket and put on the TV, and then he goes to DC and votes with the AOC and votes on the left side of the party.”

Click here to get the Fox News app

Currently, the focus of the Ramaswamy movement is to consolidate early momentum. The event is scheduled for the fall and includes an October fundraising event hosted by Thomarios in Akron, which is dedicated to expanding its base in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and elsewhere. With record fundraising, Ryan’s defection from his donor network and early recognition from the Ohio Republican Party, Republicans say Ramaswamy positioned himself as a leader in 2026.