Who's In the Race
Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy face each other in Ohio's governor's race on Nov. 3. The seat is open because Republican incumbent Mike DeWine is not seeking reelection.
Both nominees won their primaries on May 5. Acton won the Democratic primary, which had two candidates. Ramaswamy won a three-way Republican primary.
Acton is a physician and former public health official who served as Ohio's health director during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a role that made her one of the state's most recognized figures. Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur and biotech investor who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 before withdrawing and endorsing Donald Trump.
Endorsements
The two nominees have drawn sharply different coalitions of high-profile backers, reflecting the national stakes both parties see in the race.
Acton has drawn endorsements from former President Barack Obama and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Former statewide officials Dick Celeste and Ted Strickland have also endorsed Acton, as has former statewide official Jim Petro. Petro is a Republican, making his endorsement of Acton a cross-party signal in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide offices in recent cycles.
Ramaswamy has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. JD Vance, a Republican who represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate, also endorsed Ramaswamy. Outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine endorsed Ramaswamy in January. Ken Blackwell, a former statewide official, has endorsed Ramaswamy.
Race Outlook: Ratings and Polling
Three of the country's leading race-rating services have assessed the Ohio governor's contest differently.
Cook Political Report rated the race Lean Democratic, updated Oct. 28. Sabato's Crystal Ball also rated it Lean Democratic, updated Oct. 28. Inside Elections rated the race a Toss-up, updated Oct. 23. The consensus rating is Toss-up, updated Oct. 23.
Polling aggregated by Legis1 through Oct. 31, based on 73 polls, shows Acton leading Ramaswamy 49 percent to 46 percent, a margin of 3.2 points.
Previous Elections
Donald Trump carried Ohio in the 2024 presidential election with 55 percent of the vote to Kamala Harris's 44 percent, a margin of about 11 points.
In the 2022 Ohio governor's general election, DeWine won with 62 percent of the vote, collecting 2,580,424 votes to Democrat Nan Whaley's 1,545,489, a margin of more than 1 million votes. That lopsided result underscores how competitive the 2026 race looks by comparison, with forecasters split between Lean Democratic and Toss-up despite Ohio's recent Republican lean in presidential contests. A Democrat leading in the polls in a state Trump carried by 11 points just two years ago would represent a notable shift if it holds on Election Day.
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