CLEVELAND — Vivek Ramaswamy’s bid for Ohio governor this week didn’t make the kind of move someone so closely and obviously aligned with President-elect Donald Trump might normally make. Ways to clear or freeze the Republican camp.

The biotech entrepreneur's job to lead the Trump administration's Department of Efficiency alongside billionaire Elon Musk has not officially begun and is expected to launch a campaign soon, two sources with direct knowledge of his plans told NBC News Activity.

“Vivek’s basic plan remains the same: achieve success at DOGE and then quickly announce a run for governor,” an Ohio operative familiar with his thinking wrote in a text message.

Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday named Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, another Republican interested in the governor's office, to replace Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, who recently vacated the position. ’s Senate seat, Ramaswamy’s path has, in theory, eased. But at least two other Republican officials with statewide prominence — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and state Treasurer Robert Sprague — are already preparing their own campaign to succeed the term-limited DeWine as governor.

Amid the ensuing buzz surrounding Ramaswamy after Husted was appointed on Friday, Yost and Sprague said their plans not only remained unchanged but also strengthened.

Yost's team confirmed that he has hired Justin Clark as general counsel for his upcoming gubernatorial campaign. Justin Clark is a veteran of the Trump campaign and first administration.

"Justin is nationally recognized for winning some of the most competitive races in the country," said Yost spokesperson and senior adviser Amy Natoce. "As a longtime adviser to President Trump, he knows the relationship with Dave "What it means to work with a conservative America First candidate like Yost is that his experience is invaluable and we are excited to have him join our team."

Yost also sent a text message to his followers on Friday night promoting his trip to Washington, D.C., for Trump's inauguration.

“As your next governor, I will work with President Trump to advance his America First agenda,” Yost wrote. “Please look out for a special announcement regarding my campaign for Governor!”

Meanwhile, Sprague filed paperwork with the Ohio secretary of state on Friday making clear he plans to seek the governorship — a move a spokesman confirmed was a precursor to a formal announcement.

Sprague posted on Looking forward to sharing my vision for Ohio State in the coming weeks.”

While Yost and Sprague are not backing down, a senior Ohio Republican strategist who worked on the gubernatorial campaign there said Ramaswamy's personal wealth and strong ties to Trump could make He is difficult to defeat—even with known electoral numbers.

“Vivek’s blank check and the appeal he’s built to conservatives puts him in the lead,” said the strategist, who asked not to be named to share his view on where Trump could wield outsized influence. A candid look at unstable territory.

Husted is considered a leading candidate for governor, a position he has long harbored after serving two terms as DeWine's lieutenant governor, two terms as Ohio secretary of state and, earlier, as speaker of the state House of Representatives Ambition. But DeWine, aware that his close ally could suffer a heavy defeat in the Republican primary, appointed him to fill the vacancy left by Vance.

Ramaswamy, who lives near Columbus and briefly challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has a friendly relationship with Husted. He served on the Ohio Innovation Council, a state government program created by Husted as lieutenant governor.

It is unclear if or when Ramaswamy will have to leave the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) before launching his gubernatorial campaign. Trump said DOGE would not operate as an official federal agency, meaning Musk and Ramaswamy would likely continue to pursue their outside business and political interests.

Husted said in an interview with NBC News on Friday that he will see who runs for governor before deciding whether to support the race. He noted that he has "a long and good relationship with Vivek."

"I look forward to hearing his plans," Husted added.

No Democrat has been elected governor of Ohio since 2006. DeWine defeated Democratic Nan Whaley, then the mayor of Dayton, by 25 points in his 2022 re-election bid, a state Trump has narrowly won three times.

Dr. Amy Acton, a Democrat and physician who rose to prominence as DeWine's high-profile health director early in the pandemic, announced her run for governor earlier this month.

"I'm running for governor because I refuse to take my eyes off Ohioans who are struggling," Acton said in a statement released by his campaign after the news about Husted and Ramaswamy broke. stated in a statement. “Ohioans need a governor who can solve problems and give us all a little breathing room, not another self-serving politician.”