Vivek Ramaswamy 2024 presidential campaign

Vivek Ramaswamy 2024 presidential campaign
Campaign
CandidateVivek Ramaswamy
AffiliationRepublican Party
StatusAnnounced: February 21, 2023
Suspended: January 15, 2024
HeadquartersDes Moines, Iowa
New Hampshire
Columbus (formerly)[1]
Birmingham, Alabama (formerly)[2]
SloganA New American Dream
Website
www.vivek2024.com

Vivek Ramaswamy began his 2024 presidential campaign on February 21, 2023, as a candidate in the 2024 Republican primary.[3] He formally launched his candidacy at an interview on the Tucker Carlson Tonight show.[4] In his campaign announcement, Ramaswamy pitched himself as a conservative[5] with a vision for American national identity.[6] On January 15, 2024, Ramaswamy suspended his campaign, subsequent to the Iowa caucuses.[7][8]

According to Politico, Ramaswamy was inspired by Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election, and wanted to run "with an entrepreneurial spirit, unorthodox ideas, and few expectations."[9] Ramaswamy considered a candidacy in the 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio, but decided not to run.[10] Since that time, he had been mooted as a potential future presidential candidate.[11][12][13] If elected, he would have been the first Indian-American president and youngest person to ever assume the presidency.[14][15]

His central campaign promise was an extensive and severe downsizing of federal agencies.[16][17] His other key campaign issue was environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives, which Ramaswamy alleged are detrimental agendas that mix business with politics.[18] Ramaswamy marketed himself as an "American nationalist"[19][20] and "anti-woke" candidate.[11][4] He wrote that the corruption of American society by what he calls "victimhood narratives" makes it impossible to achieve merit-based hierarchies.[21]

Ramaswamy campaigned extensively for the 2024 Iowa Republican presidential caucuses, the first contest of the candidate selection process.[22] His campaign targeted young people, voters who were disaffected, and Donald Trump supporters who could be persuaded that Ramaswamy would "take the America First movement to the next level."[23] At an October Iowa campaign event Ramaswamy said "The only chance we have is Iowa. ... If I win Iowa, I'm your next president."[1] By January 2, the campaign announced that Ramaswamy had attended two or more campaign events in each of Iowa's 99 counties, 252 public events with another 25 scheduled by caucus day.[22][24] Ramaswamy placed fourth in the caucuses on January 15, garnering 7.7% of the votes.[25]

  1. ^ a b Joens, Phillip (November 11, 2023). "Vivek Ramaswamy moves campaign headquarters from Ohio to Iowa and New Hampshire". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Form 1 for VIVEK 2024". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Rokus, Brian; Maher, Kit; Wright, David (February 21, 2023). "Vivek Ramaswamy announces GOP bid for president in 2024". CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Astor, Maggie (February 21, 2023). "A Wealthy 'Anti-Woke' Activist Joins the 2024 Presidential Field". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Gans, Jared (February 21, 2023). "Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy announces GOP presidential bid". The Hill. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  6. ^ Kraushaar, Josh (February 22, 2023). "'Woke, Inc.' author Vivek Ramaswamy enters 2024 presidential election". Axios. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Weisman, Jonathan (January 15, 2024). "Vivek Ramaswamy, Wealthy Political Novice Who Aligned With Trump, Quits Campaign". The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  8. ^ Barrow, Bill (January 16, 2024). "Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his 2024 Republican presidential bid and endorses rival Donald Trump". AP News. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Lippman, Daniel (February 13, 2023). "The 'CEO of Anti-Woke Inc.' Has His Eye on the Presidency". Politico. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  10. ^ Wetterich, Chris (January 26, 2021). "Commentary: A look at the race for Portman's Senate seat and a new name emerges". Cincinnati Business Courier. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Kolhatkar, Sheelah (December 12, 2022). "The C.E.O. of Anti-Woke, Inc". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Tobias, Andrew (February 13, 2023). "Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy hits presidential campaign trail, assembles campaign team". Cleveland.com. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  13. ^ "How Vivek Ramaswamy Became A Major Presidential Candidate". fivethirtyeight.com. July 10, 2023.
  14. ^ Lindsay, James M. (March 3, 2023). "Meet Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Presidential Candidate". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  15. ^ "Vivek Ramaswamy: The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president". BBC. March 1, 2020.
  16. ^ Wulfsohn, Joseph A. (July 14, 2023). "Vivek Ramaswamy vows to gut several agencies including FBI, IRS, CDC: Shutting down 'the administrative state'". Fox News. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  17. ^ Cameron, Chris; Savage, Charlie (September 13, 2023). "Ramaswamy Says He Would Fire Most of the Federal Work Force if Elected". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  18. ^ "A Look At the Race for Portman's Senate Seat". Cincinnati Business Courier. American City Business Journals. January 26, 2021.
  19. ^ Sewell, Dan (January 17, 2023). "Dan Sewell: Anti-woke crusader mulls political future". Cincinnati Enquirer.
  20. ^ Booker, Brakkton (June 6, 2023). "Ramaswamy flaunts 'tongue in cheek' non-white nationalism". Politico.
  21. ^ "Vivek Ramaswamy vs. Identity Politics". National Review. March 6, 2023. Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence
  22. ^ a b Joens, Phillip (January 3, 2024). "Vivek Ramaswamy completes 'Full Grassley' tour of all 99 Iowa counties twice, campaign says". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  23. ^ Pellish, Aaron (January 8, 2024). "Ramaswamy focuses on nontraditional GOP voters in final Iowa push". CNN. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Tabet, Alex; Pipia, Lindsey; Koretski, Katherine (January 2, 2024). "Vivek Ramaswamy completes double tour of every Iowa county". NBC News. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  25. ^ "Iowa Caucus Results". The New York Times. January 15, 2024. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.