COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Senate President Rob McColley has been tapped as GOP frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy’s running mate in the 2026 gubernatorial race, according to their campaign spokesperson. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who had been holding back on endorsing Ramaswamy, announced he will now be supporting the pair.
First reported by NBC News on Tuesday evening, Ramaswamy's team announced that, if elected, McColley would serve as his lieutenant governor. The team will be making its first public appearance at an event in Cleveland on Wednesday evening.
McColley, an attorney from Napoleon, Ohio, had long been the expected choice for the Cincinnati-born businessman.
RELATED: Here's where Ohio's race for governor stands
The Senate president, 41, joined Ramaswamy, 40, for many events across the state during the lead-up to this announcement.
Ramaswamy previously told us he will be working with the legislature for all of his policy ideas.
"That's the type of leadership we need to build upon the foundation that we've already set in this state to make us not just the best in the Midwest, but the best in the entire country," McColley told me in September.
Strategists continued to suggest McColley could be Ramaswamy's running mate because he can navigate the lawmakers.
Serving as the top leader in the Senate, he controls 23 other Republicans. He also works closely with DeWine.
RELATED: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine not ready to endorse Vivek Ramaswamy
"The first important decision any Governor makes is who will be his or her choice for Lieutenant Governor. Vivek Ramaswamy has made a great pick in Senate President Rob McColley to be his running mate," DeWine said in a statement. "Senate President McColley is a strong leader who is well respected by the members of the General Assembly. He knows Ohio and brings geographical balance to the ticket."
McColley was instrumental in getting Ohio’s new flat income tax passed. He also personally pushed back on the House’s more marijuana-friendly legislation on numerous occasions.
Although McColley broke out of lockstep with House Speaker Matt Huffman on several major occasions over the past year, he is the best choice to mediate between the executive branch and legislative, strategists said.
Other than his ability to work with the General Assembly, strategists have told us that McColley can help win over Christian voters.
In December, Ramaswamy wrote a guest essay for the New York Times, condemning racist and Hinduphobic attacks he has faced as he continues to campaign.
McColley’s background
After growing up in Northwest Ohio, he graduated from OSU and went to the University of Toledo for law school.
McColley started in state politics in 2017, first serving in the House and then moving over to the Senate. He has served in leadership positions in each chamber. Before being president, he served as the Senate’s majority floor leader.
He lives in Napoleon with his wife and three kids.
Looking across the aisle
Democratic frontrunner Dr. Amy Acton has chosen David Pepper, the former chair of the Ohio Democrats, as her running mate.
RELATED: Amy Acton chooses former Ohio Democratic Party leader David Pepper as running mate
Ramaswamy's chief campaign strategist, Jai Chabria, slammed the pick.
"Vivek's choice of Rob McColley for lieutenant governor couldn’t be more different from Democrat Amy Acton’s selection of David Pepper — a perennial political loser who has consistently done more to help Republicans than Democrats in Ohio — and it's just the latest example of no Democrat with any measurable political success wanting to run against Vivek," Chabria said.
Referencing how McColley is a "humble family man," he called Pepper a "nepo baby." Pepper is the son of the former CEO of Procter & Gamble.
"Ohio voters have repeatedly rejected David Pepper for political office," Chabria continued.
The strategist referenced several of Pepper's unsuccessful statewide campaigns — further criticizing his ability to lead.
"What is your response to their feedback, their insulting you?" I asked Pepper at an event on Wednesday.
"They don't know me," he responded. "I have actually a very good track record. I ran for city council, finished first — made history with what I did. I flipped Hamilton County from red to blue the first time in 40 years. I overperformed in 2010 dramatically. That's a lot more election wins than Vivek Ramaswamy's ever had."
He continued that he was very confident in his ability to win elections and run a good campaign.
"It's just, I think, one other sign that he just is not in tune with Ohio. He doesn't know the people of Ohio — whether it's me or the average Ohioan whom he calls lazy and mediocre... We honestly aren't going to spend a lot of time on them, we're much more interested in talking to everyday people about the problems they're seeing," he said.
RELATED: Vivek Ramaswamy deleted social media heading into the Ohio governor's race. Here's why
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
