Dr. Amy Acton will be Ohio’s next governor, defeating her Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy in a heated race that has gained national attention in recent weeks over a controversial attack-ad against the Democrat.
On Tuesday evening, AP called the race for Acton, who previously served as the director of the state’s health department during the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting that she won 50.8% of the vote with 86% of votes counted. Ramaswamy, who was backed by President Donald Trump, earned 45.9% of the vote, according to AP.
Acton’s victory marks the first time in two decades that Ohioans have elected a Democrat to the governorship. It represents a significant blow to Republicans, who initially liked their chances in a state that the President won by double digits in the 2024 election.
The race, which was an open battle since current Republican Gov. Mike DeWine was restricted from running again because of term limits, took a striking turn in the lead-up to Election Day. The Cook Political Report had previously rated the race as “Lean Republican,” but later adjusted its analysis and marked it a “Toss Up.” On Oct. 23, though, the Cook Political Report shifted the race slightly in Democrats’ favor to “Lean Democrat.”
The election forecaster attributed its latest assessment in part to an attack ad released by Ramaswamy’s campaign in October. The ad featured Acton’s estranged mother, who lost custody of Acton and her brother in 1978, the same year that their stepfather was indicted on charges of raping Acton when she was a child.
It sparked backlash across the political aisle. Acton’s brother, Philip Stearns, described the ad as “a despicable low.”
“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,” Stearns said in a statement. “This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core—a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”
The state’s current Republican governor said that the ad was “deeply, deeply troubling” and “just plain wrong,” calling for Ramaswamy’s campaign to rescind it. DeWine maintained, nonetheless, that he still endorsed Ramaswamy and “the whole [Republican] ticket.”
But Ramaswamy, who launched an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in the 2024 election, doubled down on the ad. Both Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance defended him in the wake of the outrage.
