McColley seeks lieutenant governor on Ramaswamy ticket

Robert McColley, president of the Ohio Senate, is running for lieutenant governor as Vivek Ramaswamy's running mate in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. McColley faces Democratic candidate David Pepper and Libertarian James L. Mills, according to BallotReady election data.

Ramaswamy selected McColley as his running mate on Jan. 6, 2026, NBC News reported. McColley is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady.

McColley did not return the outlet's questionnaire.

Candidate information

Full name: Robert McColley
Party: Republican
Date of birth: Oct. 14, 1984
Hometown: Napoleon, Ohio
Family: Wife Denise, daughter Anna and twin sons Matthew and Michael
Education: Bachelor's degree in finance, The Ohio State University (2007); juris doctor, University of Toledo (2010)
Current office: President of the Ohio Senate

Experience and public service

McColley has served in the Ohio Senate representing District 1 since 2017, according to BallotReady. He served as majority leader from 2023 to 2025, according to his Wikipedia biography, before becoming Senate president in 2025, according to his Ohio Senate page.

Before the Senate, McColley served as state representative for District 81 from 2015 to 2017. He held the role of assistant majority whip in the Ohio House from 2016 to 2017.

Outside the Statehouse, McColley worked as economic development director at the Henry County Community Improvement Corporation from 2013 to 2014. He has practiced law as of counsel at Clemens, Korhn, Liming & Warncke, LTD since 2015, according to BallotReady. He previously worked as an associate attorney at Hyre Legal Group from 2010 to 2011 and at Leatherman & Witzler from 2012 to 2013.

On the issues

The following positions are stated by the Ramaswamy-McColley campaign on its campaign website.

Taxes and budget: The campaign says it would slash property taxes to protect families, seniors and homeowners. The ticket also calls for phasing out the state income tax, starting with eliminating capital gains taxes.

Education: The campaign says it would raise academic standards with a focus on third-grade literacy, eighth-grade numeracy and 12th-grade civics. The ticket also calls for expanding career-technical education and apprenticeships, rewarding top teachers with higher pay and empowering parents with transparency and school choice.

Public safety: The campaign says it would enforce stricter bail and sentencing for repeat violent offenders and empower local police and sheriffs. The ticket also calls for addressing severe psychiatric illness so officers can focus on crime.

Energy: The campaign says it would expand natural gas and deploy new energy technologies to reduce electric bills. The ticket also calls for streamlining energy project permits.

Economy: The campaign says it would reduce regulations that drive up costs and stall business growth, and create more paths to homeownership and entrepreneurship.