The gubernatorial race in Ohio in the 2026 US midterm election saw Democrat Amy Acton defeat billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
In a campaign that drew nationwide attention for a controversial ad concerning Acton, the win flips an office previously held by the term-limited Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican.
“I wish her well to lead this state to hopefully greater heights in the future. It was a tough race.
“We left Dr Acton a message to congratulate her on her victory in this race,” he said. It was bitter at times in both directions but the time tomorrow is to hopefully have real leadership bring the state tomorrow.”
“We are rooting for the success of the state. We are rooting for your success and that means that all of us in this room should be rooting for the success of her administration. We’re hopeful for Ohio to achieve great things regardless of what happened tonight in this election,” he remarked. “In the fullness of time, our state and country’s best days will still be ahead of us. “This is my promise: We together are going to make it all cost less. Decency is on the ballot in Ohio.”
Acton’s victory makes her Ohio’s first Democratic governor since 2006, a state that President Donald Trump carried by about 11 percentage points in 2024, as reported by Bloomberg. Despite Ramaswamy and Republican groups pouring in more than $165 million in advertising, as quoted by AdImpact, Acton secured the office on the promise of addressing cost-of-living issues and opposition to data centers.
“There’s no more breathing room,” Acton said at a pre-election rally in Dayton.
Ramaswamy, standing next to his wife Apoorva, took to the podium to deliver his first remarks after losing the race for Ohio’s governor’s office by revealing his personal call to Acton in order to congratulate her on the win.
