Democrat Acton defeats Ramaswamy in Ohio governor race
The gist
Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio's governor race, networks project.
She becomes Ohio's first woman governor and first Democrat in two decades.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026The 19th reports Ramaswamy is closing the race by suggesting Acton lied about her childhood sexual abuse, with an ad featuring her estranged mother.
- late OctoberRamaswamy's campaign releases an ad featuring Acton's estranged mother Donna Arthur, who says her daughter "lied her entire life"; the campaign says it will spend $4m to air it statewide.
- Oct 24, 2026At a Cleveland rally with former President Barack Obama, Acton says her opponent "has chosen to exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his struggling campaign, but it's not going to work."