Hello, my name is Jessie Balmert, and I’ve covered state government and politics since 2015. In that time, I’ve witnessed several political trends emerge in Ohio (and across the nation). One of the more recent ones is the rise of the outsider candidate with little to no elected experience.
When I started covering Ohio politics, the state’s top leaders all had extensive political experience. Then-Gov. John Kasich had served as a congressman for 18 years. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman had decades of elected experience in Washington, D.C.
But in recent years, Republican candidates have won top spots with no elected experience. First was now-Vice President JD Vance, best known for his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” Then came luxury car salesman Bernie Moreno, who ousted Brown last year.
Now, billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy is running to replace Gov. Mike DeWine, who cannot run again because of term limits. Ramaswamy has effectively cleared the GOP primary with early endorsements from President Donald Trump and the Ohio Republican Party. Candidates with more political experience have dropped out of the race.
Former republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks with guests after a town hall, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, at Bushnell Events Center in Springfield. Ramaswamy held a town hall to discuss the nation’s immigration debate and other political topics.
Candidates like Ramaswamy, Moreno, Vance and Trump are rewriting the playbook on how to win statewide in Ohio. It doesn’t have to look like DeWine’s 40-plus-year career in politics.
Big donors are willing to give to first-time candidates, especially those who are wealthy themselves. Political parties have less power to stop outsiders. And newcomers have access to more media and social media options to get their message out. All of these changes help outsider candidates.
Most importantly, voters of all political stripes are hungry for change and tired of the political establishment. Ramaswamy appeals to voters who want a change from DeWine while keeping the governor’s office in Republican hands.
“It’s not Mike DeWine’s Republican Party anymore,” Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis told me. “You’re not going to see the same old, same old with Gov. Ramaswamy.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why we wrote about political outsiders winning in Ohio