Washington, Oct 10 (IANS) US Vice President JD Vance has thrown his weight behind Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor, portraying him as a businessman capable of creating jobs, lowering energy costs and providing property tax relief as Republicans step up their campaign ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

Addressing a Republican rally in Lima, Ohio, Vance praised Ramaswamy's business background and said his experience would help revive manufacturing, attract investment and improve economic opportunities in the state.

"Vivek is an entrepreneur. He's a guy who hasn't just received a paycheck he signed a paycheck to," Vance told supporters, drawing a contrast between the Republican candidate and career politicians.

The Vice President, who previously represented Ohio in the US Senate, said Ramaswamy understood the challenges facing businesses and working families.

"What Vivek is gonna do is he's gonna to attract jobs and he's gonna unleash the incredible potential of this state," Vance said.

He said Ramaswamy would focus on reducing living costs, particularly energy expenses, and creating conditions for businesses to expand their operations in Ohio.

Vance also highlighted Ramaswamy's proposal to provide property tax relief to homeowners, presenting it as a central element of the Republican candidate's economic agenda.

"He's gonna get historic property tax relief for every single citizen who owns a house in this state," he said.

The Vice President described Ramaswamy as someone capable of translating policy proposals into action.

"Vivek is not like so many politicians, a person who just talks about things," Vance said, adding that the candidate had demonstrated an ability to execute his ideas.

Ramaswamy, a biotechnology entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, is seeking the governorship against Democrat Amy Acton.

Vance sharply criticised Acton over her role in Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing her of supporting restrictions that disrupted schools, religious gatherings and family activities.

His criticism was part of a broader attack on Democrats, whom he accused of pursuing policies that increased costs and weakened American manufacturing.

The Vice President also campaigned for Republican Senator Jon Husted, who is seeking election to the Senate seat previously held by Vance.

He credited Husted with supporting the Trump administration's tax and economic policies, including measures affecting overtime income, tips and Social Security benefits.

Vance argued that Republican leadership was essential to maintaining what he described as an economic revival in Ohio.

He pointed to manufacturing investments involving automobile, aerospace and pharmaceutical companies, claiming that administration policies were encouraging businesses to expand domestic production.

"We've created 72,000 manufacturing jobs just in 2026 alone," Vance said.

The employment figure was presented as an administration claim and was not independently verified in the speech.

Vance also defended President Donald Trump's tariff policies, arguing that companies investing in American manufacturing should receive tax incentives while businesses moving jobs overseas should face financial penalties.

"But if you're sending American jobs overseas, if you're trying to ship your factory to a foreign corporation or you're trying to replace American workers with a legal immigrant later, you know what you're gonna get? A big fat tariff," he said.

The Vice President's remarks reflected the administration's emphasis on domestic manufacturing, immigration restrictions and economic nationalism as Republicans campaign to retain political control in Washington.

Vance also attacked former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Husted, accusing him of supporting policies that harmed American workers and encouraged illegal immigration.

He urged Republican supporters to turn out in large numbers on November 3, describing the elections as critical to continuing the Trump administration's economic agenda.

--IANS

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