Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was reportedly denied entry to restricted areas during the New York Knicks' playoff victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, according to the Ohio news site The Rooster. The Knicks swept the Cavaliers 4-0 to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Before the game, security turned Ramaswamy away as he tried to park near the Cavs ownership and players. After the 130-93 blowout, he was again denied when attempting to enter the Knicks' restricted area, declaring he was 'running for governor of Ohio and wanted to welcome everyone to Ohio,' per the outlet.
Ramaswamy's campaign manager Jonathan Ewing dismissed the report as '100% fake, from a mentally unstable and unhinged left-wing blogger who may suffer from delusions.' New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Knicks fan, retweeted Ramaswamy's earlier post from the game, which showed the Republican and his wife smiling with the caption 'Let's go Cavs...all the way back!'
Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur, ran an unsuccessful 2024 Republican presidential primary campaign and was reportedly edged out of the Trump administration's DOGE initiative. In the governor's race, he trails Democratic opponent Dr. Amy Acton according to April polling.
