Democrat Amy Acton defeated Trump-endorsed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s governor’s race Tuesday, dealing Trump’s pick a stinging loss in a state that has shifted sharply right.
Acton, Ohio’s former health director, won the race, according to projections by Decision Desk HQ, NBC News, CNN and the Associated Press. With about 75% of the expected vote counted, Acton led 50.5% to 46.1%, per DDHQ.
Acton will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, whom she advised on COVID-era shutdowns in 2020. She will be the first woman elected governor of Ohio and the first Democrat elected to the office since 2006. Trump carried Ohio by 11 points in 2024.
Ramaswamy had the backing of Trump and the state Republican Party, and Trump and Vice President JD Vance stepped up campaigning in Ohio during the race’s final stretch. Ramaswamy also put an estimated $36 million of his own money into the race.
His campaign drew bipartisan backlash in the final weeks over an attack ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter “a liar.” Ramaswamy put $4 million behind the ad. Acton has described a childhood of abuse that culminated in rape charges against her late stepfather. DeWine urged Ramaswamy to take the ad down, while Trump and Vance defended it.