Ohio’s governor’s seat tilted toward the Democratic Party’s favor, as Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy challenges a rival with broad name recognition.
The Cook Political Report on Wednesday shifted the race from “Lean Republican” to a “Toss Up.” The development comes as Ramaswamy and Democratic nominee Amy Acton vie to succeed Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) in one of the country’s most closely watched races.
Acton is a familiar face to voters, known for her frequent televised appearances as the state’s former health director during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ramaswamy is relatively new to the political stage, having never run for office in Ohio, though he mounted a short-lived presidential run in 2024.
Cook Political Report credited its change to what it described as Ramaswamy’s “clear likeability problem … even some in his own party.” It said that while the wealthy biotech entrepreneur has poured millions into advertising designed to boost his image and attack Acton’s record over her handling of COVID-19, “polling available after a few weeks of airtime has still shown Acton narrowly ahead or tied.”
“Ramaswamy will have to spend millions to try to dent Acton’s image before she can reintroduce herself,” it concluded. “While she reported a record-breaking $9.4 million in the last quarter, she hasn’t gone up on air yet. It’s also worth noting that bottomless coffers like Ramaswamy enjoys have not guaranteed wins for other recent self-funders this cycle.”
Other wealthy people who have financed their own campaigns this cycle and failed include Tom Steyer in California and David Trone in Maryland.
Ramaswamy has portrayed Acton as a socialist candidate in the vein of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He and the state GOP have sought to capitalize on protests against Acton for lockdown measures she backed during the pandemic, including by signing stay-at-home orders, closing schools, restricting sporting events, and suspending voting. DeWine backed her up at the time, but Acton resigned in June 2020 due to backlash over her role in the state’s COVID-19 response.
“The most pro-freedom Governor in our state’s history vs. the first socialist Governor in our state’s history,” Ramaswamy said this month. “In the end, the government we elect is the one we deserve.”
The public doesn’t appear to have embraced Ramaswamy’s take on Acton. With less than four months until voters cast their ballots, polling indicates a tight race between the two. In 270 to Win’s average of polling, Acton leads, 48% to 46.7%.
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Acton has highlighted affordability messaging on the campaign trail, seeking to portray Ramaswamy as an out-of-touch billionaire, and attacking him for his wealth.
“Ohioans … don’t relate to a billionaire who flies over their communities on a private jet,” she said on June 30. “Exhausted by rising costs, stretching paychecks, a system that protects wealthy elites and bad actors, and by being constantly talked down to by an out-of-touch billionaire who has no idea the struggles they face. It’s time for change.”