Ray Marcano is a Columbus Dispatch contributing columnist.
The classic definition of a coup d'état involves the violent overthrow of a government by militants who slaughter opponents in their quest for control.
But what do you call it when a state legislature vows to work with an unelected leader to pass a law for political gain?
That’s a more subtle action that’s called an administrative coup
in scholarly circles.This is not potato vs. po-TAH-to. A coup is a coup, and it’s happening here in Ohio.
The Dispatch reported Sept. 21 that Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wants to suspend the gas tax for 90 days and wants that to happen next week.
Stunningly, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said in a statement released by Ramaswamy
that he would work with the governor-wannabe to enact his plan “immediately.”
The newspaper reported Sept. 23 that state lawmakers plan to vote next week oneliminating the state gas tax - 38.5 cents per gallon on gas and 47 cents per gallon on diesel - for three months.
Playing with gas
It all stinks because Ramaswamy isn’t elected. We have a governor who has come out against the holiday and sits in that chair until Jan. 11, 2027. He is the CEO of the state, not someone interested in a power play for political gain.
That’s what this is. A power play for political gain.
Ramaswamy, clearly, hopes lawmakers will quickly pass a tax holiday, giving him an issue to help a campaign that needs all the help it can get.
In a red state like Ohio, he should be up double digits but instead finds himself neck-and-neck with challenger Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who holds a narrow lead in the polls and prediction markets.
Acton, by the way, called for a gas tax holiday before Ramaswamy teamed up with Huffman. Only she’s not trying to stage a coup to get it.
The Republicans are desperate
If the statement attributed to Huffman is accurate, it’s another sign of the GOP’s worry about the race.
The anti-Acton ads play poorly because they minimize her terrible history of sexual abuse and unfairly try to paint her as mentally unstable.
The socialism label doesn’t stick, the GOP’s research shows, especially since President Donald Trump has cozied up to Mr. DSA himself, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. It’s hard to make the case the GOP can fix the affordability crisis when they caused it.
You don’t consider a coup unless you doubt you can win on the merits.
Huffman should clarify his statement to mean “immediately after (Ramaswamy’s) sworn in.” It’s fine to offer full-throated support for your party’s standard bearer, raise money, run commercials, etc., without using lawmaking powers to put your thumb on the scale.
Separately, if lawmakers want to debate a gas tax suspension after the election, go for it. At that point, the discussion will be free of personal political pressure.
We have, sadly, seen this sort of administrative coup become more prevalent. Elon Musk’s role with the failed DOGE initiative comes to mind. He’s a billionaire brilliant at building businesses and inept at working in government who only answered to the other billionaire in the White House. It showed the foolishness of allowing someone outside of government to attempt changes inside of it.
That’s where we are now in Ohio. This sort of coup would be dastardly regardless of which political party participates. For now, it’s a state GOP apparently willing to do the bidding of a desperate candidate.
Stop the nonsense. Unelected citizens, Democrat or Republican, shouldn’t engage in quiet coups.
Ray Marcano is a Columbus Dispatch contributing columnist. The longtime journalist is the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ramaswamy is losing. His gas tax suspension ploy reeks of a coup | Opinion
