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Democrat Amy Acton wins election for governor in Ohio

Nov 3, 2026 | 9:49 PM

Democrat Amy Acton won election Tuesday as governor of Ohio, defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. The victory by Acton, a physician who was Ohio’s COVID-era health director, marks the first time since 2006 that a Democrat has been elected as governor. Acton became a household name in 2020 as Ohio dealt with a wave of deaths, anxiety and social disruption at the start of the pandemic. Although she is a Democrat, Acton worked closely during that time with Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Ramaswamy, a 2024 presidential candidate and biotech billionaire, ran with the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The Associated Press declared Acton the winner at 10:49 p.m. EST.

The Associated Press