By Salma El-Sakka
Democrat Amy Acton has won Ohio’s race for governor, defeating Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, NBC News projects. Acton, 60, becomes the first woman elected governor in the state’s history and the first Democrat to win the office since Ted Strickland in 2006.
Historic Victory
Acton, the state’s former health director, will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Her victory breaks a two-decade Republican hold on the governorship in a state that backed Donald Trump by comfortable margins in three consecutive presidential elections.
Contentious Campaign
The race turned increasingly hostile in its final weeks after Ramaswamy’s campaign aired a $4 million attack ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who called her daughter a liar and urged voters not to support her. Acton said she had not spoken to her mother in nearly 50 years and accused her mother’s then-husband of sexually abusing her as a child. The ad drew bipartisan condemnation, including from DeWine, but Ramaswamy refused to withdraw it or apologize.
Policy and Personal Attacks
Acton campaigned as a moderate who could appeal across party lines, citing her service in a Republican administration during the Covid-19 pandemic. She highlighted her upbringing in Youngstown to contrast with Ramaswamy’s wealth, criticizing his use of a private jet. Ramaswamy, 41, pledged to reduce property taxes and phase out the state income tax, pouring significant personal funds into his campaign while a super PAC supporting him received millions from billionaires Elon Musk and Jeffrey Yass.
Ramaswamy's Challenges
Ramaswamy faced headwinds including his Indian American heritage and Hindu faith in a predominantly white, Christian state, and he acknowledged encountering racism online. Trump endorsed Ramaswamy and campaigned for him, though the former president noted Ramaswamy had run against him in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
Acton's Pandemic Record
Republicans attacked Acton for her role in pandemic-related school and business closures, though DeWine, a Republican, had final authority. DeWine later called such attacks unfair. Acton also faced scrutiny over a 2019 domestic dispute police report; she was not charged and described the incident as a verbal argument with her husband.
