Vivek Ramaswamy was the headline speaker at Ohio’s Wayne County Republican Party Lincoln-Reagan dinner over the weekend, but it’s what happened before the dinner that really made news.
Prior to the event in my home county, a group of Democrat protesters confronted the gubernatorial hopeful with signs that read, “Not Lincoln or Reagan’s America Anymore” and “Your Billions Won’t Buy Ohio.” The usual suspects sounded their infernal noisemakers as cars drove by honking their horns.
Undeterred, Ramaswamy asked a protester named Sandy, “What do you want to see in Ohio?”
“I don’t want [to lose] all these jobs. I’m a veteran, and I’m worried about the health care and the VA,” she said. “I don’t want them people being fired. What we care about is veterans getting their benefits.”
Ramaswamy replied, “Yeah, so we’re gonna make sure veterans get their benefits in the state of Ohio. Being fired is another thing, but that’s different from making sure that we also gotta reform bureaucracy, because that’s a different issue.”
When he learned that she is a Vietnam veteran, he extended his hand and said, “Well, thank you for your service.”
Then he did something unexpected—he invited the protesters to be his special guests at the dinner, which was held at the Greystone Event Center in Wooster, Ohio.
“All right, if some few of you want to come as my guests, you’re welcome tonight. All I ask is keep an open mind,” he said. “We’ll do the same. We’re not going to agree on everything, but as long as we’re talking to each other in a respectful, civil way, then I do think that we’re going to be successful as a state.”
Sandy, whose last name was not made available, was the only Democrat who took him up on the offer. Once inside the venue, he took her aside and said, “I think that sometimes we need to talk to each other a little bit, yeah, and no, not all people are the same… not all Americans are the same.”
“So sometimes, just talk to people, and you never can agree on everything. That’d be pretty boring if we did, so enjoy the dinner tonight and tell me what you think,” he added.
He hugged her, and she replied, “You all have given me a different perspective on Republicans.”
Later, he recognized Sandy and commended her service in Vietnam. He asked her to come onstage and held the microphone so she could speak. “I appreciate you giving us a chance to talk to you outside,” she said. “I really wasn’t expecting it, because I’m not a Trump person.”
They both laughed, and he quipped, “I was expecting that.”
“Thank you for your open-mindedness,” he continued. The Republican crowd responded with enthusiastic applause.
Ramaswamy posted the video on social media with the comment, “Met a group of vocal Democrat protestors outside tonight & invited one of them in to join us for dinner. She’s a Vietnam veteran, was respectful & listened carefully through the evening. What she said by the end was incredible.”
Currently, there are two viable (in my opinion) contenders to replace Gov. Mike DeWine — Ramaswamy and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. That said, if former Ohio State coach and current Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel enters the race, it could shake things up. President Trump, Elon Musk, and a host of other MAGA luminaries have endorsed Ramaswamy, but Yost has a long history in Ohio politics and has always been a solid conservative leader. Ramaswamy’s endorsements have dampened Yost’s campaign, but we’re a long way from November 2026, and a lot can happen. The winner of the 2026 primary could face public health bureaucrat Amy Acton, the only declared candidate on the Democrat side so far. She’s the pro-abortion Democrat who led DeWine’s draconian COVID-19 lockdowns. Other possible Democratic contenders include former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and former U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, both of whom were ousted by voters in recent “red wave” elections in the Buckeye State.
Watch Ramaswamy’s full remarks:
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