Anti-ESG Crusader Joins GOP Presidential Race

Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who’s railed against “woke” investing based on environmental, social and governance principles, has launched a battle for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Ramaswamy, 37, had said he was “strongly considering” a run and on Tuesday filed a statement of candidacy and created a presidential committee with the Federal Election Commission. An individual who’s raised or spent $5,000 on a presidential run is required to register as a candidate with the FEC.

He made his announcement on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program on Tuesday night.

“In order to put America first, we have to first rediscover what America is,” Ramaswamy said, taking aim at everything from illegal immigration to affirmative action to efforts to address climate change.

He promised to return America to a system of meritocracy while taking aim at enemies abroad including China and Mexican drug cartels and at home, including the Washington bureaucracy.

A native of southwestern Ohio, Ramaswamy didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. But he has been meeting power brokers and giving speeches in Iowa and key states, highlighting his belief that the U.S. has moved away from its founding values.