Vivek Ramaswamy Urges GOP to Focus on Affordability, Drop “Identity Politics” After Election Losses

Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is calling on his party to refocus its message after a string of Democratic victories in key races across the country.

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, said in a video posted Tuesday on X that Republicans need to concentrate on “making the American dream affordable” and avoid engaging in what he described as “identity politics.”

“We got our a--es handed to us in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Democrats swept all three,” Ramaswamy said. “There’s two key lessons for Republicans. Listen carefully.”

“Number one, our side needs to focus on affordability — bring down costs: electric costs, grocery costs, health care costs and housing costs — and lay out how we’re going to do it,” he continued. “And number two: Cut out the identity politics. It doesn’t suit Republicans. It’s not for us. That’s the woke left’s game, not ours. We don’t care about the color of your skin or your religion. We care about the content of your character.”

Democrats made significant gains in Tuesday’s elections, winning gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and the mayoral contest in New York City. Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) captured their states’ top offices, while Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral race, becoming the city’s first Muslim and first African-born mayor.

Despite representing different wings of the Democratic Party — Spanberger and Sherrill from the center, Mamdani from the progressive left — all three candidates emphasized affordability and cost of living as central campaign themes.

Mamdani, 34, kept his focus on economic issues even as his opponents faced criticism for attacks on his faith. A group supporting former Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a campaign ad linking Mamdani to 9/11 imagery in the race’s final stretch. Cuomo, who ran as an independent and finished second, also questioned whether Mamdani could lead the city “if, God forbid, another 9/11” were to occur.

The mayor-elect was also targeted over his stance on Israel and the war in Gaza, but ultimately prevailed with strong support from younger voters and working-class neighborhoods.

Ramaswamy’s comments reflect growing tension within the Republican Party over its messaging strategy heading into 2026, as leaders debate whether to double down on culture-war issues or pivot toward pocketbook concerns.