Amy Acton defeats billionaire rival to become Ohio’s first woman governor

In the U.S. midterm election, Democrat Amy Acton won the Ohio governor’s race by defeating billionaire businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who was backed by Trump. Acton will become the state’s first woman governor.

Democratic candidate Amy Acton won the Ohio governor’s race in the U.S. midterm elections on November 3. According to projections by CBS News and the AP, Acton defeated Republican candidate and billionaire businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Acton will become Ohio’s first woman governor; Republicans had held the governorship for 16 years.

Acton, 60, was born in Youngstown and led the state’s Department of Health during the tenure of Republican Governor Mike DeWine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Acton, who has spoken about experiencing homelessness as a child, centered her campaign on the cost of living. In her victory speech, she said, “The time has come for a government that puts Ohioans before special interests, corporations and billionaires.”

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who lost the Ohio governor’s race (archive)

Ramaswamy, 41, ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 but withdrew from the race after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses. He was later expected to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk in the Trump administration, but withdrew from the plan before Trump took office. Ramaswamy spent far more than Acton on the campaign.

A $4 million advertisement released by Ramaswamy’s team in October that featured Acton’s estranged mother drew criticism from Republicans, including Governor DeWine and Senator Jon Husted. Trump supported the advertisement. Trump won Ohio by an 11-point margin in 2024. That same night, Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Husted and returned to the Senate.

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