In a move that screams “I’m outta here,” Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech billionaire turned political wannabe, yanked his company, Strive Enterprises, out of Columbus, Ohio, faster than you can say “Buckeye betrayal.” On November 1, 2024, Strive announced its relocation to Dallas, Texas, chasing what Ramaswamy called a more “business-friendly” environment. Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a public servant with over three decades of experience, continues to fight for Ohioans, racking up wins against corruption, corporate polluters, and protecting Ohioans predatory telemarketers, robocalls and scam. As Ramaswamy campaigns to be Ohio’s next governor in 2026 with zero years in public office, his company’s exit raises a snarky but serious question: Why should Ohioans trust a guy who ditched the state for Texas glitz when Yost’s track record screams loyalty, results, and relentless service? Ohio needs proven, not promising—and Yost is the gold standard.
Strive’s Ohio Exodus: Ramaswamy’s Business Bolts for “Y’all Street”
Let’s start with Vivek’s big Ohio oopsie. Strive Enterprises, the anti-“woke” asset management firm Ramaswamy co-founded in 2022, was supposed to be a Columbus success story. With $1.7 billion in assets under management, it could’ve been a job-creating boon for Ohio. But nope—Ramaswamy packed up and shipped out to Dallas, lured by Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s promise of a “Y’all Street” paradise. At an Ohio chamber event in November 2024, Ramaswamy’s CEO, Matt Cole, claimed Texas was more “business-friendly” than Ohio, a state that’s been bending over backward to attract investment. Translation? Lower taxes and fewer regulations were too tempting for Vivek’s wallet to resist. By Q1 2025, most of Strive’s Columbus staff were expected to relocate or be left behind, a gut punch to Ohio workers who thought Ramaswamy was one of their own.
This wasn’t just a business move—it was a signal. Ramaswamy, who announced his gubernatorial bid on February 24, 2025, in Cincinnati, wants Ohioans to believe he’s all-in for the Buckeye State. Yet his actions tell a different story: when the going gets tough, Vivek gets going—straight to Texas. His campaign rallies, packed with Trumpian flair and promises to slash taxes and regulations, conveniently gloss over the fact that he already voted with his feet against Ohio’s economic future. If Strive’s departure is any clue, Ramaswamy’s loyalty seems as fleeting as his brief stint co-leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he quit on Inauguration Day 2025 to chase his governor dreams. Ohioans deserve better than a guy who treats their state like a pit stop.
Dave Yost: Ohio’s Battle-Tested Champion
Now, let’s talk about the man who’s been striving for Ohio while Ramaswamy was scheming for greener pastures. Dave Yost, Ohio’s Attorney General since 2019, is a titan of public service with over 30 years of experience—four statewide election wins, zero losses, and a resume that reads like a love letter to the Buckeye State. Born in Delaware County, Yost cut his teeth as a journalist before becoming a prosecutor, county auditor, and state auditor, exposing corruption and saving taxpayers millions. As Attorney General, he’s been a one-man wrecking crew against Ohio’s enemies, from corrupt politicians to corporate polluters.
Yost’s highlight reel is jaw-dropping. In 2020, he spearheaded the investigation into the $1 billion House Bill 6 scandal, the largest corruption case in Ohio history, nailing former House Speaker Larry Householder and FirstEnergy executives for a pay-to-play scheme that fleeced ratepayers. He’s locked up over 170 corrupt public officials, proving he’s nobody’s puppet. When Norfolk Southern’s train derailment poisoned East Palestine in 2023, Yost sued the company, securing cleanup funds and accountability for Ohioans left choking on toxic fumes. He’s taken on Big Tech, filing lawsuits against Google and Meta for censorship and privacy violations, and fought for Ohio’s strict abortion laws, winning a 21-point landslide in 2022. His campaign coffers? A cool $2.5 million, built on grassroots trust, not self-funded millions like Vivek’s war chest.
Yost’s vision for Ohio is as grounded as his record. He wants to shift from “problem-based” to “goal-based” policies, boosting manufacturing, cutting red tape, and ensuring public funds for projects like sports franchises come from user taxes, not Ohioans’ pockets. Unlike Ramaswamy, who’s never faced a voter, Yost knows Ohio’s heartbeat—its steel towns, its farms, its suburbs—because he’s served them all. He’s an outsider to Columbus’s cozy political machine, clashing with moderates like Governor Mike DeWine and never bowing to insiders. When asked about Ramaswamy’s endorsements from state officials like Frank LaRose and Robert Sprague, Yost quipped, “It says more about their part in the Columbus machine than it does about me.” That’s the kind of straight-talking grit Ohioans respect.
Vivek vs. Yost: Promises vs. Proof
Ramaswamy’s campaign is all flash and no substance. At 39, he’s a Cincinnati-born biotech mogul with a $1.1 billion net worth, a Harvard-Yale pedigree, and a knack for TV soundbites. His 2024 presidential run fizzled in Iowa’s fourth-place ashes, but he’s leveraged Trump’s endorsement—nabbed hours after his February 24, 2025, campaign launch—to paint himself as Ohio’s “America First” savior. He’s promised to zero out income and property taxes, ban classroom cell phones, and make Ohio a hub for semiconductors and bitcoin. Sounds great, Vivek, but where’s the plan? His only political “experience” was a month co-leading DOGE, which he ditched faster than Strive ditched Columbus. Polls show him leading Yost—46% to 18% in one February 2025 survey—but Yost’s support climbs to 30% when voters learn his record, proving name recognition isn’t loyalty.
Ramaswamy’s Strive move to Texas is the ultimate red flag. Ohio’s been fighting to keep businesses, and Vivek’s exit cost jobs and trust. He claims he’ll make Ohio “business-friendly,” but if he thought Columbus was too tough for Strive, why should voters believe he’ll stick around as governor? His anti-ESG crusade and bitcoin bets might thrill Wall Street, but Ohioans need schools funded, roads fixed, and communities safe—not a governor moonlighting as a crypto bro. Yost, meanwhile, has never quit on Ohio. He’s won cases for Secretary of State Frank LaRose, even when LaRose endorsed Ramaswamy, showing Yost puts duty over grudges. When Trump endorsed Vivek, Yost didn’t sulk—he doubled down, saying, “I support President Trump and hope to earn his support.” That’s a leader who fights, not flees.
Ohio Needs Proven, Not Promising
Ohio’s governor race isn’t a reality show—it’s a job for someone who’s earned the state’s trust. Ramaswamy’s a smooth talker, but his Strive exit proves he’s more about self-interest than Ohio’s interest. Why trust a guy with zero public office experience, who moved his company to Texas, to lead a state he’s barely served? Dave Yost, with 30-plus years of victories, is Ohio’s proven warrior. He’s exposed billion-dollar scams, protected communities, and stood up to corporate giants—all while Vivek was writing books about “woke” boogeymen and chasing Fox News hits. Yost’s still striving for Ohio, winning sheriff endorsements (30 counties to Vivek’s 21 as of March 2025) and building a campaign on results, not rhetoric.
Ohioans know the difference between a leader and a leaver. Yost’s got the scars and the wins to prove he’s in it for the long haul. Ramaswamy? He’s already got one foot out the door, probably dreaming of Dallas penthouses while Ohioans grind. The Buckeye State deserves a governor who’s all-in, not all-out. Dave Yost is that governor—tested, trusted, and tougher than a Cleveland winter. Vivek, take your promises and your bitcoin elsewhere. Ohio’s got Yost, and that’s all we need.
