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Ramaswamy jumps in gubernatorial race

• The story: Vivek Ramaswamy this week announced his candidacy for Ohio governor and detailed an ambitious campaign platform that includes reforming just about every aspect of the state’s government.

• Background: Ramaswamy, a boisterous Cincinnati-area native and biotech entrepreneur, received a complete endorsement from President Donald Trump just hours after he made his gubernatorial bid official during an event at CTL Aerospace Inc. in Butler County.

• The field: Ramaswamy becomes the instant front-runner in 2026’s Republican primary, which already has Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost and Heather Hill, a former Morgan County School Board president, waiting in the wings. So far, the only Democrat gunning for the job is Amy Acton, former Ohio Department of Health director.

• Quote: “We’re not going to agree on everything and that’s okay, it’s a beautiful thing. We love our diversity of thought in the state of Ohio, but if you want to put more money in your kid’s account, you want to have the same shot at the American dream that this state and this country gave me, then we’re on the same team, and we will work with you to take our state to the next level,” Ramaswamy said about bipartisanship. “You will have a seat at the table if we share those two goals in common.”

• Goals: Ramaswamy focused much of his speech on his aim to make Ohio a state of economic and educational excellence. He said neither political party is talking enough about improving education in Ohio and he wants to improve proficiency in reading and math, particularly.

• Here’s the full story from Michael D. Pitman.

Springfield Haitians have few options after Trump’s nix of temporary protected status

• The lede: An estimated half a million Haitian immigrants — including many in Springfield — will have their Temporary Protected Status to live and work in the U.S. cut short following a directive from the Trump Administration.

• The policy change: The Department of Homeland Security made a sweeping policy change last week that will see Haiti’s current TPS designation expire in August of this year instead of its originally-planned expiration in February 2026. In addition, the department rescinded the Biden Administration’s plans of extending the country’s TPS designation.

• The impact: The DHS directives could turn the roughly 520,000 Haitians legally in the U.S. under TPS into illegal immigrants after August, including the estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants in Clark County.

• Quote: “I think a lot of the folks who have TPS right now, if I’m them, I’m scared that I’m going to be deported,” said Mohamed Al-Hamdani, a Dayton-based immigration attorney who has helped Haitian immigrants navigate the U.S.‘s complex immigration system over the years.

• Limited recourse: Immigration attorneys are encouraging Haitians on TPS to apply for other statuses they may qualify for, the most common being asylum, which requires immigrants to prove they’d be targeted in their home country. Local immigration attorney Katie Kersh said she’s “not seen anyone get granted asylum yet” due to yearslong delays in Ohio’s sole federal immigration court.

• Here’s my full story on how this move will impact Springfield’s Haitian population.

Local political news of the week

• Serving ICE: Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones has landed a new contract to house up to a couple hundred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees awaiting deportation in his county jail, effective March 5. Denise Callahan has the story.

• Protest prep: Dayton police say they are preparing for protests and other contingencies at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly that is coming in May after the assembly saw protestors clash with police in Montreal last November. Cornelius Frolik has the story.

• Tampon debate: A West Alexandria state lawmaker wants to see tampons and pads removed from men’s restrooms at Dayton Metro Library locations, but library officials say the period products are meant to promote a “welcoming” environment.Sydney Dawes has the story.

State political news of the week

• Puffed and passed: A bill approved 23-9 by the Ohio Senate Wednesday would significantly overhaul a citizen-initiated statute that 57% of voters approved in 2023 to legalize recreational cannabis in Ohio. Here’s my story on the bill.

• Third time lucky?: State Rep. Andrea White, R-Kettering, is hoping the third time’s the charm on her effort to require private insurers to cover “biomarker” medical testing and thereby improve health outcomes in Ohio and cut down on personal medical costs. Here’s my story.

• Property tax: State legislators mulled a group of new and old property tax reform proposals this week that tackle school funding, relief for disabled veterans and the elderly, plus a homestead exemption and owner-occupancy credit overhaul. Denise Callahan has the story.

National political news of the week

• Trump policy: In our weekly roundup of the Trump Administration, we note that local Ukrainians are watching closely as the Trump administration negotiates with Russian and Ukrainian leaders in an effort to end the war in Ukraine, which was three years old Monday. Here’s the full roundup from Sydney Dawes and Josh Sweigart.

• GOP budget plan: For days, U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, made it clear to reporters on Capitol Hill that he opposed a House GOP budget outline that would allow work to move forward on President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda, but he flipped following some last-minute negotiations assured him of spending cuts. Jamie Dupree has the story.

• Dayton’s NATO stage: The world’s eyes will be on Dayton when it hosts the NATO Parliamentary Assembly this May, with special attention paid to America’s approach to a resolution to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Cornelius Frolik has the story.