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Amy Acton elected Ohio governor, ending 16 years of GOP control
Read the full articleDemocrat Amy Acton won the Ohio governor's race over Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, becoming the first woman elected governor of Ohio. She is scheduled to take office on Jan. 11, 2027, alongside a Republican-controlled legislature.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/ohio-governor-amy-acton-vivek-ramaswamy
Supporting evidence (8)
Amy Acton was elected governor of Ohio on Tuesday, defeating Vivek Ramaswamy.
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Amy Acton was elected governor of Ohio on Tuesday – a rare victory for the Democratic party in a state that Donald Trump carried three times.Acton, 60, led Ohio’s health department through the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. She will become the first woman to serve as Ohio’s governor. Her defeat of Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur endorsed by Trump, also ends 16 years of Republican control of the governor’s office.
Her win also ends 16 years of Republican control of the governor's office, making her the first Democrat to win the post since Ted Strickland won the office in 2006.
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Her defeat of Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur endorsed by Trump, also ends 16 years of Republican control of the governor’s office. She is the first Democrat to win the post since Ted Strickland in 2006.
Acton, 60, led Ohio's health department through the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Acton, 60, led Ohio’s health department through the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur endorsed by Donald Trump, campaigned on eliminating the state income tax within a decade and cutting energy bills.
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Ramaswamy won Trump’s endorsement the day he launched his campaign, and promised voters he would revive the American Dream by making Ohio income-tax free in a decade, cutting energy bills, and restoring “law and order” to Ohio’s cities.
Both Acton and Ramaswamy were first-time candidates who had never held elected office.
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The journey to election day was tumultuous for Acton, a first-time candidate who, like Ramaswamy, had never held elected office. Early polls showed her trailing by double digits, with roughly a quarter of voters saying they had never heard of her.
Acton's mother had lost custody of her after her husband, Acton's stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton when she was 12.
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Acton’s mother lost custody of her after her husband, Acton’s stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton when she was 12.
Acton focused her campaign platform on lowering household costs, promising targeted tax relief through an earned income tax credit, a child tax credit of up to $1,000, a public prescription drug platform, and property tax relief for seniors and middle-income homeowners.
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Acton meanwhile centered her campaign on lowering costs, promising an earned income tax credit, a child tax credit of up to $1,000, a public prescription drug platform and property tax relief aimed at seniors and middle-income homeowners.
Acton will govern alongside a Republican-controlled legislature, setting up potential clashes over tax reform, school funding, and data centers.
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Acton will lead a state that backed Trump by 11 points in 2024, and will govern alongside a Republican-controlled legislature, setting up potential clashes over tax reform, school funding and datacenters.
Supporting evidence (11)
The Associated Press declared Acton the winner at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday based on an analysis of outstanding ballots showing insufficient remaining Republican votes to change the outcome, with Acton leading 50.7% to 46% with 85% of votes counted.
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As of 10:45 p.m., the Associated Press had declared Acton the winner based on its analysis of outstanding votes that show there are not enough Republican votes to alter the outcome. With 85% of voted counted, Acton led Republican Vivek 50.7 % of the vote to 46%.
Acton's victory marks a historic milestone as she becomes the first woman elected governor in Ohio history.
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Acton’s victory over Ramaswamy makes her the state’s first woman to be elected governor.
Acton will succeed Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who could not seek reelection because of term limits.
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Acton takes office in January, replacing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who couldn’t seek reelection because of term limits.
The contest became the most expensive in state history, with Acton campaigning against more than $200 million in advertising from Ramaswamy and outside groups backing him, compared with at least $44 million spent by Acton's side, according to AdImpact data reported by NBC4.
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Between the Ramaswamy campaign’s direct spending and money dumped into the race by outside groups backing him, Acton campaigned against more than $200 million in advertising, by far a state record, according to AdImpact as reported by NBC4 in Columbus. Acton’s side spent at least $44 million, according to AdImpact.
Advertising drew national scrutiny late in the race when Ramaswamy's campaign produced a widely criticized commercial featuring Acton's estranged mother.
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Negative advertising was a major point of attention at the end of the race, after Ramaswamy’s campaign produced a widely criticized ad that featured Acton’s estranged mother.
DeWine called on Ramaswamy to take down the ad, while Vice President JD Vance defended the commercial as tough campaigning.
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DeWine, who had endorsed Ramaswamy, called on him to take down the ad, and much of the Republican ticket, including Sen. Jon Husted, distanced themselves from it. The ad made Ohio’s governor’s race the top national story for more than a week, just two weeks from Election Day. Another faction of Republicans more closely aligned with Trump – Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Bernie Moreno – defended the ad as tough campaigning.
Ramaswamy eventually pulled the ad from television airwaves the week before Election Day.
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He then pulled the ad from the TV airwaves the week before Election Day.
She also campaigned on increasing funding for public schools.
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Acton campaigned on, among other issues, targeted tax relief and increased school funding.
The governor's office oversees state agencies that include prisons, highway maintenance and construction, and Medicaid, which covers roughly one-quarter of Ohio's population.
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The governor’s office oversees state agencies that affect millions of people. Those agencies include prisons, highway maintenance and construction, and Medicaid, the healthcare program for poor Ohioans that covers roughly one-quarter of the state’s population.
Acton could also shape state policy by appointing allies to state boards, having pledged to appoint regulators “who put ratepayers first” to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
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Acton also could help shape state policy by appointing allies to state boards and commissions. For example Acton has pledged to appoint commissioners “who put ratepayers first” to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which has faced criticism over the years for being too friendly to utility companies.
She will also hold the power to veto legislation, including individual line items in state spending bills.
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In turn, Acton can serve as a major check on the legislature through her ability to veto legislation, including vetoing individual line items in spending bills.
Ohio governor’s race: Amy Acton projected to defeat Vivek Ramaswamy
Supporting evidence (1)
In Columbus, WCMH projected that Acton would serve as Ohio's next governor.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Democrat Amy Acton is projected to serve as Ohio’s next governor, with unofficial results
Acton Leads Ohio Governor Race as Precinct Returns Narrow Margin
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Previously, Pique Media reported that Acton led the Ohio governor's race as precinct returns narrowed the margin.
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Acton Leads Ohio Governor Race as Precinct Returns Narrow Margin
Ohio governor's race: Live election results, updates
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Acton is scheduled to take office on Jan. 11, 2027.
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Acton will take office on Jan. 11, 2027.