Cincinnati area native, ‘Woke, Inc.’ author mulls presidential run
A Butler County native who declared war on “woke” culture is setting his sights on a presidential run in 2024.
Vivek Ramaswamy emerged on the national stage after publishing his book “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” which criticizes political correctness and identity politics in the corporate world. Politico reported Monday that Ramaswamy is making moves to explore a potential campaign, including a trip to Iowa last month.
“Yes, I am strongly considering it,” Ramaswamy said in a statement to the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. “If you ask people in my generation what it means to be an American, you get a blank stare in response. I’m on a mission to deliver an answer to that question. We need to revive the basic ideas that set this nation into motion merely 250 years ago.”
Ramaswamy, 37, the son of Indian immigrants, graduated from St. Xavier High School and went on to Harvard and
Yale. He founded the pharmaceutical research company Roivant Sciences and Strive Asset Management, an investment firm that aims to persuade companies to stay out of politics. He currently lives the Columbus area with his family.
Strive is backed by Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, who helped bankroll U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance’s Senate campaign in Ohio last year.
Ramaswamy is a regular commentator on Fox News. He’s long been viewed as a rising star in the Republican Party, although he declined to run for U.S. Senate when Rob Portman retired. His name came up again as a potential challenger for Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024.
Ramaswamy likely faces an uphill battle if he opts to run for president. Former President Donald Trump has already announced plans to run for reelection, and high-profile candidates including Florida Gov. Ron Desantis are expected to join the fray.
Haley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau.