Washington, August 22, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US Vice-President JD Vance has endorsed Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy for governor of Ohio, describing his fellow Republican as the state’s next chief executive.
Vance made the endorsement on Friday during a speech at the Cleveland-Cliffs steel plant in Middletown, his hometown in southwestern Ohio, where he invited Ramaswamy to acknowledge the audience.
Vance praised Ramaswamy as a strong gubernatorial candidate and said he would make a “great governor” of Ohio.
The vice-president also joked about an internet meme involving Ramaswamy and his six-year-old son, who is also named Vivek. Vance recalled taking his son to a polling station during Ohio’s Republican primary elections, where the child filled out an informal ballot featuring choices such as caramel apples and watermelon.
Vance said someone later posted that he had brought “his son Vivek” to vote and used artificial intelligence to create an image depicting Vance walking hand-in-hand with Ramaswamy to a polling station.
“When your name is on the ballot, nobody needs to make you go vote,” Vance said, drawing laughter.
The endorsement came during an address focused primarily on manufacturing, trade and immigration policy. Vance appeared alongside political candidates and steelworkers as Cleveland-Cliffs announced a $1 billion investment in its Middletown operations.
Vance also highlighted his family’s connection to the facility, noting that his grandfather worked there as a welder for nearly four decades when it operated as Armco Steel.
He criticised previous political and business leaders for allowing manufacturing to move overseas and said American companies should prioritise training and hiring domestic workers. His remarks did not announce any new immigration regulation or specifically address the H-1B visa programme.
Ramaswamy entered Ohio politics after seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He subsequently endorsed Donald Trump and became a prominent advocate of the President’s “America First” agenda.
Born in Cincinnati to immigrant parents from Kerala, Ramaswamy studied at Harvard University and Yale Law School before building careers in biotechnology and finance. His gubernatorial campaign has further raised the profile of Indian-Americans in Republican politics.
FOLLOW NOW
