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NH Politics

The race begins: First paid television ad for presidential primary airs today in N.H.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican who declared his candidacy for president in late February, offers the first candidate TV ad of the political season in New Hampshire.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican who announced he was running for president of the United States on Feb. 21, 2023, during an episode of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," launched his first paid TV ad in New Hampshire on March 29, 2023.via YouTube

The first presidential candidate to pay for television advertising is launching his TV ad Wednesday in both New Hampshire and Iowa.

Vivek Ramaswamy’s 30-second advertisement, entitled “Identity Crisis,” calls out “victimhood” and highlights the “anti-woke” brand the Cincinnati-born Republican candidate has been honing.

“Faith, patriotism, and hard work have disappeared,” he tells viewers in the ad. “Wokeness, gender ideology, and the climate cult have taken their place.”

The ad will air on WMUR and certain cable television stations, like Fox News, as well as on radio and digital platforms in New Hampshire. It will air on cable channels in Iowa.

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Ramaswamy, 38, pitches himself to voters as a successful businessman and political outsider. The married father of two earned a bachelor of arts degree in biology from Harvard College in 2007 and received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2013 while working at a hedge fund. He founded a biopharmaceutical company, Roivant Sciences, in 2014, and in 2021, founded an investment firm called Strive Asset Management. Ramaswamy declared his candidacy for president of the United States on Feb. 21, 2023, during an episode of “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

The six-figure media push will last for two weeks, as Ramaswamy targets his ad campaign at states early in the primary process.

Ramaswamy’s advertising in New Hampshire comes as the Republican presidential primary has started gathering momentum, with Nikki Haley holding town hall events in New Hampshire and other possible candidates, including Chris Christie, visiting the state.


Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.