For the first time since 2006, Ohio has elected a Democrat governor. Dr. Amy Acton, who served as the health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the COVID-19 pandemic, was declared the winner on Tuesday night.
With 77% of votes counted as of 10:40 p.m. EST, Acton enjoyed 50.7% of the vote to Republican Vivek Ramaswamy’s 45.9%, according to Decision Desk HQ.
🚨 BREAKING: Amy Acton (D) ELECTED GOVERNOR OF OHIO, defeating Vivek Ramaswamy (R) — DDHQ
Ohio just voted for a psycho leftist who always sounds drunk.
Good luck, Ohio! https://t.co/HbgSHY1BtC
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 4, 2026
The win over Ramaswamy follows the controversy surrounding an ad he put out against Acton involving her estranged mother, Donna Arthur, who claimed her daughter was lying. The Acton campaign responded by bringing up childhood sexual abuse that Acton said she suffered from her stepfather, whom Arthur remained married to until his death.
Ramaswamy rigorously defended the ad, as did President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a friend of Ramaswamy and fellow Ohio native.
Trump and Vance had both campaigned for Ramaswamy and other Ohio Republican candidates throughout October, including on Oct. 28 in Chillicothe. Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, had campaigned for Acton in Cleveland on Oct. 24.
🚨 BREAKING: Vivek Ramaswamy has been DEFEATED in the Ohio gubernatorial election by Democrat Amy Acton, per DDHQ
WOW.
This is a hell of a development. https://t.co/JDORYAmxEW
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 4, 2026
Ohio’s gubernatorial campaign became increasingly personal and ugly in the final days, though without personal interaction between the candidates. Although Ramaswamy had agreed to debate Acton, the latter refused to debate, a narrative that the Ramaswamy campaign and the Ohio Republican Party frequently brought up until the election.
In addition to attacking Acton over what he said involved a habit of lying and her refusal to debate, Ramaswamy and Ohio Republicans focused on bashing her over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as health director under DeWine, as well as her campaign events being closed to the press and domestic disputes that prompted police to be called to her home.
As historic as Acton’s win may be, her power may ultimately be limited if Republicans retain legislative supermajorities that allow them to override vetoes.
Although Ohio has not elected a Democrat governor in decades, Acton did lead Ramaswamy in the polls, even before the ad was released, according to RealClearPolling, as well as according to forecasters and prediction markets.
Acton will be inaugurated on Jan. 11, 2027, to replace term-limited DeWine, who had endorsed Ramaswamy in January, not long after he picked Senate President Rob McColley as his running mate.
Although he did not pull his endorsement, DeWine criticized the ad involving Acton’s mother.
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]
