Vivek Ramaswamy Unveils His Day One Executive Orders for Ohio

Announcement follows Vivek's pledge earlier this week to launch investigations of local property tax hikes

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Vivek Ramaswamy announced seven executive orders he will sign on his first day as Governor - on January 11, 2027. On Day One, Vivek will launch investigations into every locality where property taxes have more than doubled since 2020; he will end sanctuary cities across Ohio; pause new data center projects until the General Assembly passes comprehensive data center legislation; crack down on Medicaid fraud; put violent criminals behind bars; root out wasteful bureaucratic spending; and create a new anti-fraud task force to clean up state government.  

E.O. #1: Investigate local property tax spikes.

This executive order will direct the Department of Taxation, in consultation with the Auditor of State, to review changes in property taxes in every county, township, municipality, school district, and special district in Ohio, and surface how increased property taxes have been spent. Every jurisdiction that has seen an increase of over 100% in property taxes since 2020 will be subject to a full investigation into spending realities and needs. Vivek recently outlined this commitment here.   

E.O. #2: End sanctuary cities across Ohio.

This executive order will prohibit Ohio cities, townships, counties, or other local jurisdictions from adopting policies that would prevent or impede their law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Specifically, if a political subdivision does not honor detainer requests or share information as federal law allows, the local government will lose eligibility for state grants run by executive agencies, including public-safety and homeland-security grants, until it complies. The sanctuary city policy would also be referred for possible legal action.   

E.O. #3: Stop new data center projects until comprehensive legislation is signed.

This executive order directs every state agency, board, and commission to pause action on any application, permit, incentive or approval for a new data center to give the General Assembly time to pass comprehensive data center legislation that includes Vivek's non-negotiable principles. Vivek previously outlined his data center legislative priorities here.   

E.O. #4: Direct the Department of Medicaid to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse.

This order will direct the Department of Medicaid to apply for a Section 1115 waiver that caps Ohio's Medicaid spending, in line with Tennessee's original TennCare III waiver, which let the state keep up to 55 percent of federal savings when it spent below the cap. Under similar terms more of every dollar of fraud that Ohio stops would return to Ohio, which Vivek previously outlined here.   

E.O. #5: Prioritize solving violent crimes to rapidly get criminals off our streets.

This executive order will direct the Departments of Public Safety and of Rehabilitation and Corrections to prioritize violent crime clearance rates in discretionary funding available to support local law enforcement. Tools including advanced forensic science will enable local law enforcement to increase the number of violent crimes solved from the current 34% level to aggressively eliminate violent criminality in Ohio cities.   

E.O. #6: Comprehensively review all existing state contracts to root out wasteful spending.   

This executive order will order a review of every executive-branch contract paid in-part or in-full from the General Revenue Fund. The Department of Administrative Services, working with the Office of Budget and Management, will review each contract's legal basis, necessity, performance, alternatives, and the cost of ending it versus continuing it, then recommend continuation or termination.   

E.O. #7: Establish an inter-agency anti-fraud task force, with direct accountability to the Governor.

This executive order will establish an inter-agency task force, reporting directly to the Governor, focused on combating various forms of fraud including, but not limited to: Medicaid fraud, benefits fraud, and child care fraud; visa fraud; voter registration fraud; trucking fraud; foreign CDL licensure; and abuse of foreign hiring by public entities. The anti-fraud task force will consist of experts from across state government and the private sector and may include representatives from the Auditor of State, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. 

About Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy is a devoted husband to Apoorva and a proud father of two sons and a daughter. Together, they are raising their family just outside Columbus, embracing the values that shaped Vivek's life. Born and raised in Cincinnati, he learned the importance of hard work, free enterprise, and personal responsibility—principles that have guided his journey. A businessman, entrepreneur, and unapologetic conservative, Vivek is ready to lead Ohio with a bold vision and strong leadership, making our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family—built on economic freedom, limited government, and individual liberty.   

About Rob McColley
Rob McColley is a man of deep Christian faith, a devoted husband, and a father of three who is running for Lieutenant Governor to help Vivek deliver a bold vision that expands opportunity for every Ohioan. First elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2014, Rob has earned a reputation as a principled statesman and effective leader. After serving in both House and Senate leadership positions, Rob was unanimously elected President of the Ohio Senate in January 2025. His strong conservative record includes cutting taxes, reducing government red tape, and ensuring Ohio never again repeats the overreach of the COVID-era shutdowns led by Democrat Amy Acton.   

Paid for by Vivek Ramaswamy and Rob McColley for Ohio

SOURCE Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio