In the 2026 Republican primary for Ohio governor, Attorney General Dave Yost finds himself facing an uphill climb against Vivek Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur who’s never held elected office.

As many Republicans, including in Ohio, have found out, it’s not what you know but who you know that leads to victory.

In 2022, political newcomer J.D. Vance, a venture capitalist best known for writing his life’s story at the age of 31, emerged from a crowded Republican field to capture the party’s nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat.

Donald Trump’s endorsement of Vance in the primary was largely the reason why Vance won the primary. Vance went on to win the general election against Democrat Tim Ryan, a 20-year congressman.

In just a couple of years, Vance went from political unknown to vice president of the United States thanks to Trump.

Last year, businessman Bernie Moreno beat two experienced Republicans to win the party’s nomination for a U.S. Senate seat largely because of Trump’s endorsement. Moreno then beat Democrat Sherrod Brown, who served as a senator for 18 years, in the general election with Trump at the top of the ticket.

Yost and Ramaswamy planned to run for governor well before their official announcements.

Yost declared Jan. 23 in an effort to beat Ramaswamy to the punch. Ramaswamy followed with a Feb. 24 announcement.

It was only a few hours after Ramaswamy’s declaration that Trump publicly endorsed him for Ohio governor.

Ramaswamy’s only political experience was a short-lived presidential bid and then an even shorter time as co-head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk.

But Trump likes and supports Ramaswamy.

In his endorsement of Ramaswamy on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I know him well, competed against him and he is something SPECIAL. He’s Young, Strong and Smart! Vivek is also a very good person who truly loves his Country. He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio, will never let you down, and has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”

Yost has spent the past six-plus years as attorney general. Before that, he spent eight years as state auditor as well as eight years as Delaware County prosecutor and four years as county auditor.

As other experienced Republicans have learned, all that time in elected office against a Trump-endorsed political newcomer doesn’t mean much. Of course it also doesn’t hurt that Ramaswamy can give several million dollars out of his pocket to his campaign without impacting his vast wealth.

The only announced Democratic gubernatorial candidate is Dr. Amy Acton, who served as the state’s health director during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When I asked Yost about the impact of Trump’s endorsement during a Tuesday visit to Warren, Yost said, “Obviously the president is extremely popular in Ohio and you factor in that my opponent spent $2.5 million a year ahead of the election to tell everyone, ‘Hey, the president likes me,’ speaks to that. But the president has endorsed two or three candidates in a race before and there’s a long time before the primary. I would welcome his endorsement. If he doesn’t, I’m going to run on my record and let voters decide.”

It likely wasn’t a coincidence that Yost brought this up when I asked on Tuesday. A day earlier, the president endorsed U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs for Arizona governor after endorsing Karrin Taylor Robson for the position in December. The dual endorsement doesn’t give anyone an advantage.

The situation in Arizona is different than in Ohio.

When Trump endorsed Taylor Robson, she was the only Republican running for Arizona governor.

In Ohio, Yost announced a month prior to Ramaswamy and Trump quickly backed the latter only a few hours after his official declaration.

Trump already had the opportunity to endorse both and while the president could change his mind, it is highly unlikely in this situation as he already has a relationship with Ramaswamy.

Since 2017, Trump has supported more than one Republican in six races, including three in last year’s Missouri governor’s GOP primary, according to the Associated Press.

Yost told me he and Ramaswamy have “a lot of similarities. We’re both America First Republicans. The main difference is rhetoric and a record of results. I’ve been doing this for the state for the last 14, 15 years and people don’t have to guess whether I’m going to follow through on my promises. They can look at what I’ve actually done.”

He added: “I’ve got a record of proven results. Ultimately, that’s going to matter.”

I asked if there was anything that would get him out of the governor’s race. Yost said, “I can’t even imagine what it would be.”

Yost said he isn’t interested in seeking any other elected position besides governor.

Yost said his “original intent was to retire after my attorney general term. But I was encouraged by people to offer an alternative” for governor. “I want to have meaningful work so the idea that I would go do something else just to have a job — I don’t really need a job. I could earn a lot more money in the private sector. So my goal is to leave Ohio brighter, better and growing for my kids and grandkids.”

David Skolnick covers politics for the Tribune Chronicle and The Vindicator.