Acton Wins Ohio Governor's Race With 50.8% of Vote, First Democrat in 20 Years

Amy Acton will serve as Ohio's next governor after the Associated Press called the race for her Tuesday evening, reporting she captured 50.8% of the vote with 86% of ballots counted. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, whom President Donald Trump backed, took 45.9%.

Acton's win is the first time Ohio voters have chosen a Democrat for governor in two decades. Ramaswamy ran with Trump's endorsement after seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Gov. Mike DeWine could not run again because of term limits, leaving the seat open. The Cook Political Report had rated the contest Lean Republican, then moved it to Toss Up, and on Oct. 23 shifted it to Lean Democrat. The report tied part of that shift to an ad the Ramaswamy campaign released in October.

The ad used footage of Acton's estranged mother, who lost custody of Acton and her brother in 1978. That was also the year their stepfather was indicted on charges of raping Acton when she was a child. Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, called the ad "a despicable low." He said in a statement, "It's not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother's husband into a political talking point."

DeWine called the ad "deeply, deeply troubling" and "just plain wrong" and asked the Ramaswamy campaign to pull it, while saying he still backed Ramaswamy and the rest of the Republican ticket. Ramaswamy kept the ad running. President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance both defended him after the backlash.