A GOP-majority legislature will likely limit Acton’s authority
The Associated Press called the race for Democrat Amy Acton on Nov. 3, 2026, making the former Ohio health director the state’s next governor and the first woman elected to the office.
Her victory marked the first time in two decades that Ohioans elected a Democrat to lead the state. Acton, 60, defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur backed by President Trump.
NPR said Acton will take office in January with a GOP-majority legislature likely to severely limit her authority.
NPR wrote that the race’s final weeks were defined by “mudslinging” and a Ramaswamy attack advertisement that drew national criticism, including criticism from some Republicans.
Late in October, the race garnered national attention when the Ramaswamy campaign flooded the airwaves with the advertisement. It featured Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling Acton a “liar.”
Arthur lost custody of Acton when Acton was 12 over the alleged sexual assault of Acton by Arthur’s husband, Acton’s stepfather.
The advertisement faced blowback from Republicans, including DeWine, while President Trump and Ramaswamy defended it.
Outgoing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Acton as the Ohio Department of Health director early in his first term.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, DeWine and Acton held regular briefings together, announcing lockdowns and promoting safety measures. Acton resigned from the health post in June 2020.
During her governor’s campaign, Acton highlighted her background in public health rather than politics and embraced policies such as a statewide child tax credit and medical debt forgiveness.
NPR wrote that “Democrats in Ohio have endured bruising elections statewide the last few cycles.”
NPR’s Sarah Donaldson covers politics and government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau.