Ohio Governor (open; DeWine term-limited)

Amy Acton (open seat) (D) vs Vivek Ramaswamy (open seat) (R) · race report as of 2026-10-28

Acton +3-4 in nonpartisan polls; Ramaswamy holds a large cash edge

Why this race matters

Catalyst forecast v2.2, as of 2026-11-02. Tipping-point share = share of simulations in which this race supplies the decisive seat. Rater consensus from published ratings. Methodology and sources.

Where it stands

• The dominant story: a Ramaswamy ad featuring Acton's estranged mother.Ramaswamy defended it (PBS 10/23) and says Acton's campaign "defamed my mother" first (The Hill, 10/26). NBC (10/25) reports records about the family's past. Obama criticized the ad at an Ohio rally (CBS, 10/25). Acton told Trump and Vance to "look at the facts" (ABC, 10/26). The Dispatch fact-checked both campaigns' ads (10/26).

• New polls (since 10/26): Suffolk, Oct 21–26, Acton 48–44 (D+4). RedBox(D) 48–44 (D+4). Echelon(R) Ramaswamy 47–45 (R+2). An unnamed Republican-sponsored poll, Oct 23–26, 800 LV ±3.5, Acton 50–42 (D+8) — PARTISAN sponsor; figures confirmed from the Axios article text (2026-10-29); polling firm not named. Aggregates: RCP +4.3, Silver +3.2, DDHQ +3.0, 50+1 +3.0, 270toWin +2.0 (avg ≈ +3.1).

• Money (Ohio SOS filing as of June 5, via Wikipedia; stale): Acton raised $5.36M, $8.14M cash on hand; Ramaswamy raised $25.4M, $30.7M cash on hand. Pre-general state filings not retrieved. No AdImpact figure found.

• Debates: none held; Wikipedia reports Acton declined CNN/WLWT debate offers.

• Early vote: 1,190,464 ballots cast statewide as of 10/28 (On Point Politics tracker, citing SOS dashboard; secondary).

Sources

Every figure above is linked to its source where it appears. FEC figures: fec.gov candidate and committee filings.

Gaps

• Not yet confirmed: pre-general state finance, AdImpact, name of the Republican-sponsored poll's firm, crosstabs, fact-check verdicts, campaign-site text. Sources checked: Google News RSS only.