Amy Acton Defeats Vivek Ramaswamy to Become Ohio's First Elected Woman Governor

Former state health director wins as Democrats end 16 years of Republican control

Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio's 2026 gubernatorial election. The Associated Press called the race for Acton, and CBS News, NBC News and several local outlets also projected her as the winner. She will become the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the first Democrat to win the office since 2006. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine was barred from seeking another term because of term limits. Acton is a physician who served as director of the Ohio Department of Health under DeWine. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, she appeared with the governor at regular briefings and became a familiar public figure. Her role in pandemic restrictions on schools and businesses later became a target for conservative criticism. DeWine, however, publicly defended her work and said that responsibility for the state's decisions ultimately rested with him. Acton had never held elected office before entering the governor's race.

Affordability and health care were central as pandemic-era disputes continued

Acton focused her campaign on lowering household costs, expanding access to health care and improving public education. She drew on her upbringing in Youngstown to argue that she understood the pressures facing working-class families and people with limited resources. Her proposals included tax credits, child-related tax benefits and efforts to reduce prescription-drug costs. She sought to shift the campaign away from a debate over pandemic restrictions and toward the state's future public services. Ramaswamy, a biotechnology entrepreneur who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, received Trump's endorsement. He campaigned on reducing state income taxes, cutting regulation and improving government efficiency. He also made Acton's pandemic record a central line of attack. The Guardian reported that Ramaswamy promised to eliminate Ohio's income tax over a decade and emphasized energy costs and public safety. Acton argued that Ohio needed a governor focused on practical economic issues rather than political confrontation. The contrast became sharper as the campaign moved into its final weeks, when both sides spent heavily on negative advertising and national figures became more involved.

An attack ad prompted bipartisan criticism as Democrats made a breakthrough in a Republican-leaning state

A late-campaign advertisement involving Acton's family history became one of the most controversial moments of the race. The ad used private details about Acton's estrangement from her mother to challenge her public account of her childhood. Acton said the campaign was exploiting personal trauma for political gain. The Associated Press, CBS News and News 5 Cleveland reported that the advertisement drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, including DeWine. Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy, but the advertisement was eventually withdrawn shortly before Election Day. The contest also featured a major spending imbalance. The Associated Press reported that Ramaswamy and Republican allies spent more than $100 million on advertising against Acton. [Cleveland.com](http://Cleveland.com) reported that television and radio advertising spending reached about $149 million. Despite Ramaswamy's financial advantage and national profile, Acton built support around affordability, health care and public services. Acton's victory ends 16 years of Republican control of the governor's office, but she will enter a state government still dominated by Republicans in the legislature. Signal Cleveland noted that many of her campaign proposals will require negotiation with Republican lawmakers. Acton is scheduled to take office in January 2027. Her ability to turn promises on economic relief and health care into legislation will be a central test of her administration. The transition will also test whether Acton can build on the working relationship she once had with DeWine while leading a government controlled by the opposing party. She has said she wants to lower the temperature in state politics and govern for all Ohioans. Her experience inside the health department gives her familiarity with state administration, but she will need to develop a broader governing team and negotiate with lawmakers on budgets, schools and health care. That is a different task from serving as a public health official or campaigning as an outsider.