Vivek Ramaswamy’s U.S. presidential campaign struggles to gain traction

Vivek Ramaswamy is falling behind just as the GOP campaign enters the critical final weeks before the Iowa caucuses on January 15

Ten minutes before Vivek Ramaswamy was to take the stage in a dated casino hotel in western Iowa, no one was in the conference room except for two staffers from the Iowa GOP, which organised the event, and a group of journalists.

Guests started trickling in at the time the event was scheduled. By the time Mr. Ramaswamy began his remarks an hour later, there were about 60 people.

While Mr. Ramaswamy is packing his schedule with stops across Iowa, he has failed to move up in the 2024 Republican primary race and is increasingly at risk of becoming an afterthought. He is polling in the mid to high single digits and has left critics asking what his endgame is or if he is staying in the race only to boost former President Donald Trump.

Also read | Ramaswamy's campaign asks Republican committee to allow only top 4 candidates to 3rd primary debate

Mr. Ramaswamy is falling behind just as the GOP campaign enters the critical final weeks before the Iowa caucuses on January 15. After an earlier flurry of attention, the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur and first-time political candidate is gaining more notice for his provocations in debates than for signs that his campaign is resonating with voters.

“If viability were the reason to stay in a race, he’s long since left that behind,” said David Kochel, a Republican strategist who advised Jeb Bush in his 2016 presidential bid. “If you like Vivek Ramaswamy and what he is saying in this campaign, you already have a candidate, and his name is Donald Trump.”

Mr. Ramaswamy’s campaign said in early November that it would spend up to $8 million in advertising through the Iowa caucuses. So far, the campaign has booked just $1,62,000 in broadcast and digital ads for the rest of the Iowa campaign, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact.