Democrat Amy Acton is projected to have defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s Nov. 3 governor’s race, according to CBS News. The state’s election results are still unofficial while county votes are counted and certified.
Acton, 60, previously led Ohio’s Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who could not run again because of term limits. A Youngstown native, she centered her campaign on affordability and spoke about experiencing homelessness as a child.
“It is time for a state house that puts Ohioans first, not special interests and corporations and billionaires,” Acton said in her victory speech. She also pledged that “no one will ever be unseen by me.”
A contentious contest
Ramaswamy, 41, is a Cincinnati-born entrepreneur who ran for president in 2024 before ending his campaign after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. He had the backing of Donald Trump and significantly outspent Acton, as major Republicans rallied behind his national profile.
The contest drew millions of dollars in negative advertising. In October, Ramaswamy’s campaign launched a $4 million ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar. DeWine and Sen. Jon Husted were among Republicans who condemned the ad; Trump supported it, while Vice President JD Vance said he was “disgusted” by Republicans who opposed it.
The Associated Press also reported Acton’s victory and said she would become Ohio’s first woman elected governor and the first Democrat to hold the office in 20 years. The Ohio Secretary of State says election-night results are unofficial until the canvass and certification process is complete. No final certified vote total was available in the information reported.
Nicole French 
Reid Bentley