By tapping McColley, a northwest Ohio native from Napoleon, as his lieutenant governor, Vivek reflects a gubernatorial campaign shifting into a true governing coalition.
Senator McColley is not a headline-grabber. He does not dominate social media cycles. Instead, he brings what Vivek does lack and what will be needed to govern: experience navigating the Ohio General Assembly, building coalitions, and translating ideology into law. McColley represents a practical segment of the Republican Party yearning for good governance and results over just zealous messaging.
The contrast is the point. McColley is Vivek’s attempt to bridge two opposite sides of today’s Ohio Republican Party, combining the populist and anti-institutional right wing with the disciplined and policy-focused driven segment. McColley’s presence reassures skeptics that Vivek’s ideas are not just dramatic performance but rather true theories of conservative governance.
There were others on the running mate shortlist and Senator McColley was one of several. Others mentioned were Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Senator Kristina Roegner and former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel. Vivek gets a wealth of institutional experience from McColley, since he served in both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly and leads the Ohio Senate.
However, supporters of the choice will frame McColley differently. McColley is not a symbol of surrender to the Republican party or even governing establishment, but a tool for its conquest. He is a conservative who understands the rules well enough to bend them without breaking the entire enterprise. The gamble is Ohio voters want both fire and form essentially revolutionary intent paired with administrative seriousness.
In this sense, McColley will function less as a co-star and more as a stabilizer. The seasoned state legislator is the answer to questions asked by donors, state elected officials and voters: Who will be the sherpa for Vivek’s platform through Ohio’s political process? Proposals aimed at abolishing the Buckeye State’s income tax, eliminating capital gains taxes, slashing property taxes, strengthening public safety, reforming the state’s education system and much more. McColley will be tasked with navigating the Ramaswamy-McColley agenda through the bends and curves of the Ohio legislative process.
The Ramaswamy-McColley ticket will have less incitement and more measured results. The strategy will broaden Vivek’s appeal beyond the base and to those voters who crave real reform in Ohio.
Whether Republican, Independent and even Democrat voters will embrace the governing coalition remains to be seen. By choosing Rob McColley, Vivek has made clear that his campaign has moved beyond being a bomber thrower and toward governing the system itself.
Rob Scott, a Republican, is the Kettering Clerk of Court, attorney, and small business owner. Contact him at rob@robscott.us.