Republican candidate for Governor, Ohio
On your ballot Governor, Ohio (Franklin County Board of Elections' list (opens in a new tab), verified October 15, 2026)
Checked · How the record reads leaders · Report a change · Corrections
Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley has 34 statements on data centers on the record.
Labels are applied by the record's published rules: two readings of each statement, and a third that reads its source where the two differ. Every label sits beside its statement and its source, and any label can be challenged through Report a change, with the correction logged on the corrections page.
What they said
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"We have an AI data center boom in Ohio which is great. I'm all for it. I'm strongly in favor of it."
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Direct verbatim quote from source. Counterpoints: Ramaswamy's statement was used in an Acton campaign ad to characterize his pro data center stance ahead of the election.
Where & When: Campaign statements · October 26, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WOSU (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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"I am against you and the people of this state having to pay for them. If you are going to use electricity from the electric grid, you should have to pay for it and bring your own energy."
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Direct verbatim quote from source. Counterpoints: Ramaswamy stated his position on data center regulation, indicating openness to resource usage regulations while opposing public funding.
Where & When: Campaign statement · October 23, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WCPO 9 News (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy said he would enforce both ballot measures if they were to pass
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Signal Ohio (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Archived copy: Wayback Machine (opens in a new tab).
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Ramaswamy said data centers should pay property taxes and facilities that generate their own power should also pay property taxes
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Statehouse News Bureau (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Archived copy: Wayback Machine (opens in a new tab).
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Vivek Ramaswamy said he would require data centers to be built on abandoned industrial sites rather than farmland
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Signal Ohio (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Archived copy: Wayback Machine (opens in a new tab).
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Vivek Ramaswamy said the data center ban would hurt the state's economy
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Signal Ohio (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Archived copy: Wayback Machine (opens in a new tab).
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Vivek Ramaswamy said he opposes a ballot proposal to ban most data centers by limiting their size
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Signal Ohio (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Archived copy: Wayback Machine (opens in a new tab).
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Vivek Ramaswamy said he opposes the sales tax exemption for data centers and does not favor tax breaks in general
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 14, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Statehouse News Bureau (opens in a new tab), local outlet
Archived copy: Wayback Machine (opens in a new tab).
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Vivek Ramaswamy outlined a plan responding to data center complaints on Fox & Friends Weekend
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: October 2, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Marcellus Drilling News (opens in a new tab), trade press
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Republican Vivek Ramaswamy wants to pass legislation setting statewide standards for data centers including lowering costs around where data center is built
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 30, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- 91.7 WVXU (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Ramaswamy announced a 90 day gas tax suspension on September 23, 2026, about six and a half hours after Acton announced a gas tax holiday on the same morning.
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 24, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- TiffinOhio.net (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy said legislation addressing data center development is too complicated to pass during the legislative session scheduled for next week
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 24, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- toledoblade.com (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Between March 27 and April 26, 2025, Ramaswamy described Ohio's data center boom as good or great at least 10 times, with no proposal to halt approvals or conditions on development.
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 24, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- TiffinOhio.net (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy has his own moratorium and says he will sign it on day one as governor
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 24, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WOSU (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Ramaswamy has disclosed investments in companies and funds connected to the broader data center and artificial intelligence industries, including Amazon, Microsoft, NVIDIA and a semiconductor exchange traded fund.
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 22, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- portsmouth-dailytimes.com (opens in a new tab), news outlet
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Ramaswamy's campaign has made data center development a major part of his economic platform, while also proposing changes to how the industry is regulated.
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 22, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- portsmouth-dailytimes.com (opens in a new tab), news outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy proposed signing an executive order on his first day in office temporarily halting approval of new data center projects until the legislature passes his proposal into law
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 21, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WTAP (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican gubernatorial candidate, called for three non negotiable conditions: nearby residents must receive free electricity from data center developers, new facilities must pay full property taxes with no abatements with revenue funding homeowner rebates, and strict air and water quality standards prioritizing brownfields
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 21, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WTAP (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Ramaswamy said AI data centers moving to Ohio is good and he wants Bitcoin mining and AI data center industries in the state
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 15, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- TiffinOhio.net (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Ramaswamy said generation makes up about half of a customer's power bill
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 15, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Signal Ohio (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Ramaswamy's current plan would temporarily stop new data center projects until lawmakers enact rules requiring developers to provide electricity or compensation to nearby residents, pay full property taxes and meet environmental and farmland protections
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 15, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- TiffinOhio.net (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy proposed requiring data centers to provide free electricity to neighboring residents
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 15, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Signal Ohio (opens in a new tab), local outlet
-
Ramaswamy's platform announced in August would prohibit new data centers from coming to Ohio until companies pay electric bills for the communities they are in
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 12, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Springfield News-Sun (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican gubernatorial candidate, said data centers have done a horrific job
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 7, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Economic Times (opens in a new tab), news outlet
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Ramaswamy's data center plan would prioritize abandoned industrial sites rather than virgin fertile farmland
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 4, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WOSU (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy said he would sign an order on day one requiring new data centers to generate their own power
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 4, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WOSU (opens in a new tab), local outlet
-
Ramaswamy said excess power from data centers would go to power purchase agreements providing free electricity to local communities
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 4, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WOSU (opens in a new tab), local outlet
-
Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy pledged to issue a first day in office executive order halting approval of all new data center projects
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 3, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- WFIN (opens in a new tab), national outlet
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Ramaswamy also wants new data centers to protect Ohio farmland, meet environmental standards, and generate enough energy to avoid driving up electricity costs for existing residents
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 2, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Nerd Stash (opens in a new tab), national outlet
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Vivek Ramaswamy promised free electricity for residents living near new data centers
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 2, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Nerd Stash (opens in a new tab), national outlet
- TiffinOhio.net (opens in a new tab), local outlet
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Under Ramaswamy's proposal, future data centers would not receive property tax abatements and would pay their full property taxes, with some revenue used to fund property tax rebates for homeowners in surrounding communities
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 2, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Nerd Stash (opens in a new tab), national outlet
-
Ramaswamy proposed steering development away from fertile farmland and toward brownfields and abandoned industrial sites, with strict air and water quality standards, water recycling and greater transparency during the approval process
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 2, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Nerd Stash (opens in a new tab), national outlet
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Ramaswamy says he wants the Ohio legislature to turn those conditions into law if he becomes governor
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Paraphrased from source.
Where & When: September 2, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- The Nerd Stash (opens in a new tab), national outlet
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"Ohio needs more data centers"
Context & source notes
Format & Provenance: Direct verbatim quote from source. Counterpoints: Ramaswamy has said repeatedly that Ohio needs more data centers and made the data center boom central to his campaign.
Where & When: campaign · August 6, 2026.
Primary Sources:
- Dr. Amy Acton for Governor (opens in a new tab), primary source
Where we looked
The record last searched for Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley's words on October 23, 2026.
How they voted
No vote on a data center measure on the record.
Others in this race
- Amy Acton and David Pepper Democratic · Governor · the race page
- Don Kissick and James L. Mills Libertarian · Governor · the race page
Something missing?
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Data Center Record, "Public statements by Vivek Ramaswamy and Robert A. McColley", https://datacenterrecord.org/speakers/vivek-ramaswamy-and-robert-a-mccolley, last verified October 26, 2026.
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Last verified: October 12, 2026.