Vivek Ramaswamy Defeated As Dems Flip Ohio’s Governor Mansion Blue

Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy on Tuesday, flipping Ohio's governor's mansion blue for the first time since 2011. 

Acton was projected to defeat Ramaswamy by about five points with 82% of the votes counted. Decision Desk HQ called the race around 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The outcome is a setback for Republicans who have won the last three presidential races in Ohio and hold a strong majority in the state legislature. 

The race was defined by brutal ads and nasty personal attacks as Ramaswamy and his allies dumped at least $200 million into the race. Acton was able to overcome Ramaswamy's financial advantage by portraying herself as a moderate focused on affordability issues. 

Acton, a former head of the state's health department, will replace term-limited Republican Governor Mike DeWine. Her influence will likely be dulled by Republican control of the state legislature. 

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who rose to prominence when he ran against President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, made a name for himself in conservative circles for speaking out against the woke corporate environment that defined the Biden era. He helped found an asset management company aimed at depoliticization of the financial markets.

Acton adopted a low-profile campaign strategy, refusing to debate Ramaswamy and prohibiting video at many of her events. She accused Ramaswamy of being "a scam artist who spreads baseless lies about her and her family." 

Polls taken in the race's final months showed her steadily taking a lead. 

In the campaign's final month, Ramaswamy's team dropped a controversial ad featuring Acton's mother Donna Arthur where she urged voters not to elect her daughter and accused her of making up stories about her childhood. Ramaswamy's team allocated $4 million to blitz the state's airwaves with the ad. 

Acton has long been estranged from her mother, with whom she lived as a 12-year-old girl when she said she was raped by her now-deceased stepfather. Court records show the stepfather was charged with rape though the case never went to trial. Acton ended up being removed from her mom's home by court order. 

Some Republicans called for Ramaswamy to yank the ad, but his campaign stood by it. 

Acton, who critics called the 'Fauci of Ohio' for her heavy-handed approach during COVID, presented herself as a moderate during the campaign, saying she didn't support gender-confused boys playing in girls' sports and backed a proposed amendment to add voter ID requirements in the state constitution. 

Ramaswamy entered the race for governor in February 2025 shortly after it was reported that he would no longer be involved with Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. The announcement also came after Ramaswamy did not get appointed to fill the Senate seat vacated by JD Vance when he became vice president. 

Despite their past rivalry, Trump quickly endorsed Ramaswamy's gubernatorial bid.

"I know him well, competed against him, and he is something SPECIAL. He's Young, Strong, and Smart!" Trump said in his endorsement. "Vivek is also a very good person, who truly loves our Country. He will be a GREAT Governor of Ohio."

While Ohio went for Barack Obama twice, Trump won the state in 2016, 2020, and 2024. 

In May 2025, the Ohio Republican Party followed Trump's lead and endorsed Ramaswamy, effectively clearing out any serious competition. State Attorney General Dave Yost exited the race just one week after the party threw its weight behind Ramaswamy. 

"I do not wish to divide my political party or my state with a quixotic battle over the small differences between my vision and that of my opponent. I am simply not that important," Yost said at the time. 

Another potential GOP candidate, Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, the former Ohio State football coach, never jumped into the race. 

Ramaswamy would go on to win over 80% of the Republican primary vote, easily fending off a challenge from a self-described America First business owner with a history of controversial social media posts. But he alienated the Republican base at various points, which ultimately proved to be part of his demise. 

Acton ran uncontested for the Democrat nomination.

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