CINCINNATI — Ohio gubernatorial candidate and Cincinnati native Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall Monday to discuss crime in the city after what he called a "candid" meeting with Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge and Mayor Aftab Pureval.
He said he agreed to keep the discussions from inside the meeting private, but said there were some solutions he would add to the conversation.
Ramaswamy proposed changing bail and bond systems to keep repeat offenders in jail, reopen psychiatric facilities to address mental health issues, hire officers and "empower" them to do their job, increase prison sentences "where necessary" and suggested fostering a culture "that celebrates the rule of law rather than to villainize it."
"We need to bring back accountability at every level," he said. "From police being able to do their jobs and communities accountable to being able to follow the law, all the way to accountability back into the family."
He called the town hall an apolitical attempt to find solutions to violence, but the event itself was filled with campaign speeches and opened by the chairmen of the county and state Republican Party.
WATCH: Hear multiple sides from Ramaswamy's public safety town hall
The biotech billionaire announced earlier today that former Bengals star Anthony Munoz and local business owner Sarah Heringer, whose husband was murdered in their Over-the-Rhine home earlier this summer, would be "special guests" at the event at Jim & Jack's hosted by Ramaswamy and former Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman.
Heringer said the discussion wasn't about right or left politics but "right or wrong."
"Every day I run a business here, I serve the community, I show up and I carry the loss of my life partner while those in charge carry on like nothing happened. Not one admission of failure," Heringer said.
You can follow along with our reporter Sean DeLancey's updates on the town hall here:
We start with county and state party chairs Russ Mock and Alex Triantafilou.
— Sean DeLancey (@SeanDeLanceyTV) August 4, 2025
Triantafilou says this is not a political event because public safety is not a political issue.@WCPO https://t.co/tpSl9SscAh
Ramaswamy first announced the town hall on July 30, days after a violent fight in downtown Cincinnati garnered national attention.
Police have arrested five people and charged two others after viral videos showed people punching and stomping on others at the intersection of 4th and Elm streets at around 3 a.m. Saturday, July 26. Officers have identified six victims, stating that their investigation remains ongoing.
Since the fight occurred, Ramaswamy and fellow Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno have made multiple posts and cable news appearances discussing the victims of the fight and claiming local leaders are "failing" the city.
"Leftists like to lecture about 'systemic injustice' while thugs turn our turn (sic) cities into war zones. I’m done with their excuses," Ramaswamy said in part while discussing the fight on X.
The 39-year-old was specifically called out for "politicizing and racializing" the fight by one local faith leader during the city's press conference late last week.
"The JD Vances and the Vivek Ramaswamys and the Bernie Morenos and the Christopher Smithermans and the many others who want to politicize it," Rev. Damon Lynch said at the time.
We spoke to Lynch after he said he believes the fight would not be national news if it included people of only the same race, "but obviously, it's national news because it's been racialized."
He said he feels like the town hall is more of a campaign stop for Ramaswamy and told us he was joining community members who gathered across the street to express their disappointment in Ramaswamy.
"To have Baby Trump in the Statehouse, by way of Trump in the White House, I think is a bit much," Lynch said. "I don't think it's good for Ohio. I don't think it's good for Cincinnati."
Fellow gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton released a statement in response to the fight and Ramaswamy's town hall, saying in part, "everyone in Ohio deserves to feel safe within their communities." You can see her full statement below:
"The violent assaults that took place in Cincinnati recently were horrific and unacceptable. I’m relieved to see that those culpable have been arrested and charged, and am sending my best to the victims as they recover and heal. I also await the results of the full investigation. I have been encouraged to see the Cincinnati community come together in the wake of this violence.
Everyone in Ohio deserves to feel safe within their communities. As Governor, I will ensure that is the case. To start, police presence and staffing are a concern throughout the state, and for years, our legislature has raided local government funds in order to give out tax cuts at the top, which have too often led to police layoffs and staffing shortages in our communities. Vivek Ramaswamy's plan to accelerate these same failed policies will only lead to a further defunding of our police forces. As governor, I'll partner with local government and law enforcement to make sure they have all of the resources and staffing they need to keep Ohioans safe."
