Vivek Ramaswamy has lost the race for Ohio governor to Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, NBC News and the Associated Press project. Acton, 60, becomes the first woman ever elected governor of Ohio and the first Democrat to win the office in 20 years.
With most of the vote counted, Acton led Ramaswamy roughly 51% to 46%. She will replace Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who is term limited, meaning state law barred him from running for another term.
“Tonight, Ohio has chosen unity and decency over division and hate,” Acton said in a statement. “Ohio is ready for a Governor who will fight to lower costs, take on corruption, and build a state where everyone gets a fair shot.”
Vivek Ramaswamy is a biotech billionaire who ran for president in 2024 before dropping out and endorsing Trump. Trump endorsed him early in the governor’s race, which helped clear the Republican field, and traveled to Ohio to campaign with him in October. Ramaswamy ran on eliminating Ohio’s state income tax. Neither he nor Acton had ever held elected office before this race.
Acton became a household name in Ohio during the early days of COVID. DeWine appointed her state health director in 2019, and she stood beside him at daily briefings in 2020 as the state closed schools and restaurant dining rooms. Ramaswamy and his allies tried to turn that against her, arguing she hurt Ohio by shutting things down too aggressively. DeWine defended her, saying the buck stopped with him.
The money gap was huge. By mid October, Ramaswamy and his allies had spent $101 million on ads against Acton, $36 million of it from Ramaswamy’s own pocket. Acton’s side spent about a third of that.
Then came the ad that blew up the race. About two weeks before Election Day, Ramaswamy’s campaign spent $4 million on a commercial featuring Acton’s estranged mother, who accused her daughter of lying about her childhood. The ad drew backlash from both parties, including DeWine, even though DeWine had endorsed Ramaswamy and kept that endorsement through the end of the campaign. Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
Acton refused to debate Ramaswamy, pointing to his personal attacks on her. Her campaign called him a “swindler,” a label he denied.
Vivek Ramaswamy entered the race as the favorite in a state Trump has won three times. Polls tightened as Trump’s approval dropped and voters grew frustrated with the cost of living, and every poll in the final stretch showed Acton ahead.
Acton’s win ends nearly 16 years of Republican control of the Ohio governor’s office. It came on a night when Democrats are projected to take control of the House and flipped Senate seats in Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina.
