From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Democrat Amy Acton defeats Vivek Ramaswamy after bitter Ohio governor’s race
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Dr. Amy Acton delivers a stunning victory in the race for Ohio governor, overcoming more than $100 million spent against her to become the first Democrat to win the seat in 20 years and the first woman ever elected to the state’s top post.
The public health physician and former COVID-19-era state health director defeats Trump-backed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire and 2024 presidential candidate. She campaigned relentlessly on affordability and better access to healthcare, appealing to working- and middle-class voters by emphasizing her hardscrabble roots as an Ohio native who spent part of her childhood homeless and, for one winter, living out of a tent.
As she takes the stage for her victory speech, Acton is greeted by the shrieks of joy, shouts and chants of “Amy! Amy! Amy!”
She repeats her campaign pledge to turn down the temperature on Ohio politics and to never ignore anyone as governor, whether they voted for her or not.
“The healing begins today,” she says.
She also alludes to the difficult final few weeks of the campaign, during which Ramaswamy aired a controversial attack ad featuring her estranged mother and thanked all those who had expressed support.
The spot sparked national bipartisan backlash on grounds that Acton’s mother had lost custody of her children decades ago after her husband, their stepfather, was indicted for raping Acton as a child.
The Times of Israel Community.