The Fox News Decision Desk projects that Democrat Amy Acton will defeat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s closely watched governor’s race. If confirmed, the result would be a major upset in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 2006.
Acton built a campaign around affordability and public education, aiming to appeal to voters beyond her party. She portrayed Ramaswamy as wealthy and disconnected from ordinary Ohioans, arguing that his policies would mainly benefit people like him.
Ramaswamy faced growing criticism in the final weeks after his campaign aired an ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, who called her daughter a liar and said she was unfit to lead Ohio without taking responsibility for her actions.
The ad did not explain that Acton had been estranged from her mother since childhood. Her mother lost custody after Acton’s stepfather was indicted on a charge of raping her when she was 12.
Ramaswamy defended the ad despite bipartisan criticism. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called it “deeply troubling” and urged the campaign to pull it. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, defended Ramaswamy’s decision to run it. The ad stopped airing days before Election Day, with the campaign saying its scheduled run had ended.
Although Ramaswamy’s controversies drew national attention, Acton also faced criticism over her record. As director of the Ohio Department of Health, she led the state’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Republicans blamed her for school and business closures and for a contentious decision to delay primary voting by closing polling places.
DeWine complicated that criticism by saying the responsibility rested with him as governor. He said he had instructed Acton to proceed with the voting delay.
The governor also questioned in April whether Ohio could afford additional tax cuts, casting doubt on a central part of Ramaswamy’s campaign platform. He criticized Ramaswamy’s proposal to close or consolidate some public universities, which Democrats argued would cut educational access to help pay for the tax reductions. DeWine had nevertheless endorsed Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy drew criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over campaign-trail moments, including a batting-cage video that was widely mocked online. A Christmas Day 2024 post in which he said American culture had “venerated mediocrity over excellence” while discussing foreign-born engineers also angered some conservatives, including Nikki Haley. The post continued to be cited by right-wing commentators as a reason to distrust him.
Republicans repeatedly tried to link Acton to pandemic restrictions enacted while she led the state health department. Acton, for her part, worked to present a more moderate image on some issues. She broke with many Democrats by opposing policies that allow transgender women and girls to compete in women’s sports.
Ramaswamy came into the race with strong connections to Trump’s political movement. After ending his 2024 presidential campaign, he became a prominent Trump surrogate and was initially selected to help lead the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk. He left that effort as Trump took office to focus on his run for governor.
Ohio last elected a Democratic governor in 2006, when Ted Strickland defeated Republican Ken Blackwell. Ramaswamy faced no serious primary challenge and entered the general election with a substantial fundraising advantage over Acton.
