Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to win the Ohio governorship, according to projections. Sending two decades without a Democratic victory in the state’s gubernatorial elections.
Acton also became the first woman elected governor of Ohio, marking a historic breakthrough in a state that has backed Republican candidates in recent presidential elections.
Ohio, once a key battleground state, voted for President Donald Trump in the last three presidential elections, including by an 11-point margin in 2024.
However, the gubernatorial contest took an unexpected turn as concerns about the economy and the rising cost of living dominated the campaign.
The race also attracted controversy after Ramaswamy’s campaign released a personal attack advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur.
In the advertisement, Arthur accused her daughter of having lied her entire life. The advert did not mention that Arthur’s husband had been charged with raping Acton when she was a child.
The advertisement drew criticism during the final weeks of the campaign, including from former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a Republican, and Ohio’s outgoing Republican Governor Mike DeWine, who described it as deeply troubling.
Trump and Vice-President JD Vance defended the advertisement.
Trump described it as powerful and encouraged Ramaswamy to continue airing it, while Vance criticised Republicans who had spoken against the campaign.
Vance, a former senator for Ohio, said he wanted fellow Republicans to stop whining about the advertisement and described himself as a little bit disgusted by the criticism from within the party.
Ramaswamy said his campaign would spend $4 million to broadcast the advertisement across Ohio.
After it began airing, the editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch endorsed Acton, describing the advertisement as revolting and unsettling.
Ramaswamy, a billionaire biotech entrepreneur, previously contested the Republican presidential nomination against Trump in 2024.
He later entered the Ohio gubernatorial race, presenting himself as a political outsider and promising to advance Trump’s America First agenda.
In his concession speech, Ramaswamy said he was rooting for Ohio and Acton.
Acton, a physician and public health official, made affordability a central issue in her campaign. She also spoke about her childhood experience with homelessness.
In her acceptance speech on Tuesday, she said: The healing begins today.
My promise to Ohio, to those who voted for me and those who did not, is that I will work with anyone and everyone, and I always have to make life better for Ohioans.”
Acton will succeed DeWine, who cannot seek another term because of term limits.
Her victory came as Republican candidates faced competitive challenges in several states despite Trump’s success in Ohio during the 2024 presidential election.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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