Amy Acton defeats Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio governor race

Dr. Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy in Tuesday's election for Ohio governor, overcoming a campaign that spent more than $100 million against her. The victory marks the first time a Democrat has won the seat in 20 years and the first time a woman has been elected to the state's highest office. Acton, 60, will succeed Governor Mike DeWine, who is term-limited and retiring after 50 years in elective politics.

Acton is a public health physician who served as the state health director during the early months of the pandemic. She campaigned on affordability and healthcare access, citing her background as an Ohio native who spent part of her childhood homeless and living in a tent during one winter. In her victory speech, she told supporters that the healing begins today and pledged to turn down the temperature on state politics.

Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire and former presidential candidate, ran as the Republican nominee with the backing of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Both leaders made repeated trips to Ohio in the final weeks to rally for Ramaswamy and Senator Jon Husted, who also lost his bid for re-election. Elon Musk contributed at least $5 million to a political action committee aligned with Ramaswamy.

The race was marked by a controversial attack ad aired by the Ramaswamy campaign featuring Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur. The 60-second spot had Arthur call her daughter a liar and urge voters not to support Acton. The ad drew bipartisan criticism because Arthur had lost custody of her children decades ago after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton as a child and then fled the state.

Ramaswamy defended the ad as a fair criticism of Acton's honesty, though he took it off the air about a week before the election. The campaign had spent about a quarter of its $4 million ad buy on the spot. Trump expressed jealousy that he had never had the chance to run such an attack, while Vance defended the use of the footage. Five former Ohio governors and several hundred alumni of Ramaswamy's Catholic high school in Cincinnati denounced the ad.

Acton's campaign focused on Ramaswamy's wealth, arguing that his background made him out of touch with voters struggling with tariffs, rising costs, and fuel prices driven by the war in Iran. DeWine, who endorsed Ramaswamy despite his history with Acton, said the responsibility for pandemic decisions rested with him. He noted that Acton was too aggressive in shutting down schools and businesses, a point Ramaswamy's team used against her.

Republican Casey Putsch, a vehicle designer and YouTube critic who ran in the primary, directed veiled ethnic and religious attacks at Ramaswamy, who is Hindu. Putsch's campaign raised $130,000 and won nearly 18% of the Republican vote. He announced before the general election that he would vote for Acton. Ramaswamy said he viewed the future with hope and reservations, noting that the country has found its way upward through past ups and downs.

Acton enters office without prior elective experience, a contrast to her predecessor. She had previously worked alongside DeWine and Husted on statewide broadcasts during the pandemic. Her victory signals a shift in the state's political alignment after voters moved toward Republicans during the Trump era. The result stands as a major win for the Democratic Party in a former swing state that had largely been written off by national Democrats.