Amy Acton, Ohio’s former health director, defeated Trump-backed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy to become the state’s first elected woman governor and the first Democrat to win the office in 20 years.
What networks projected
On Election Night, Nov. 3, 2026, NBC News and CBS News projected Democrat Amy Acton the winner of Ohio’s open governor’s race. The Associated Press reported the same outcome. She will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
With most of the vote counted, NBC’s results board showed Acton leading by roughly 52% to 45%. Ohio backed President Donald Trump by about 11 points in 2024, so the Democratic gain stood out among the night’s statewide races.
Who ran — and how each side framed it
Acton, 60, is a physician and Youngstown native who led the Ohio Department of Health early in the COVID-19 pandemic under DeWine. She cast the race as a fight over affordability and health care and said she would govern for all Ohioans.
Ramaswamy, 41, is a Cincinnati-born biotech entrepreneur and 2024 Republican presidential candidate. He campaigned on lower property taxes, lower energy bills, and public safety. Trump endorsed him and campaigned with him in Ohio. A pro-Ramaswamy super PAC drew large donations, including from billionaires such as Elon Musk, according to NBC News.
Neither candidate had held elected office before.
A bitter closing stretch
The final weeks turned especially personal. Ramaswamy’s campaign said it would spend about $4 million on an ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar. Acton has said she has not spoken with her mother in nearly 50 years and has described childhood abuse by her mother’s then-husband. The ad drew criticism from Democrats and from some Republicans, including DeWine. Trump supported keeping the ad on air; Vice President JD Vance defended it against GOP critics, according to CBS News and other free outlets.
In Columbus, Acton told supporters: “Because of your hard work, Ohio has chosen unity and decency over division and hate.” She added that “the healing begins today” and pledged to be “a governor for all Ohioans.”
Addressing his supporters, Ramaswamy called the race “tough” and “bitter at times, in both directions,” and said he hoped Acton could “bring Ohio together,” according to NBC News.
Social reaction
On X, Acton wrote: “It’s the honor of my lifetime to be named your Ohio Governor-Elect.” The Democratic Party account posted a “DEM FLIP” message congratulating “Governor-elect Acton” after she defeated Ramaswamy.
Acton takes office in January 2027. The result flips the Ohio governor’s mansion from Republican to Democratic control and breaks what had been a Republican statewide trifecta in Columbus.
Sources: NBC News · CBS News · AP News · NBC governor results board · Acton on X · TheDemocrats DEM FLIP · Ramaswamy post-election video
