Ohio Governor’s Election: See who’s running in 2026
The candidates participating in the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election are:
The battle to become Ohio’s next governor has turned ugly with accusations about his fitness for the job. And there are still more than six months until the election.
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy said Democrat Amy Acton has no vision for the state “other than complaining about what other people have done to her.” Ramaswamy posted this statement on his X account on April 14th.
Acton’s camp says Ramaswamy’s comments are an attempt to shame her for her childhood trauma.
“Vivek Ramaswamy’s recent comments attacking Amy, a doctor, mother, and survivor for sharing her experience of childhood sexual abuse, are not just disgusting; they are disqualifying,” they said in a written statement. “It is unconscionable that Vivek Ramaswamy does nothing but stand by survivors of sexual assault.”
Ramaswamy’s camp maintained that that was not what he meant at all. Ramaswamy has repeatedly spoken out against victimhood, and in 2022 he wrote a book called “A Nation of Victims.”
“Amy Acton is lying about his statements, just as she lied to the people of Ohio during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Connie Luck, a spokeswoman for Ramaswamy’s campaign. “Look at the video and his other speeches over the past two years. This is a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that Amy Acton should be answering the people of Ohio about some serious questions about her past. She’s not being honest, and it doesn’t look good.”
This latest uproar comes on the heels of news that police were called to Acton’s home in 2019 over a domestic dispute between her and her husband.
Acton’s campaign said Ramaswamy’s allies were using “personal differences” to smear her as the campaign heated up.
No one was charged or arrested in the incident, but a police report said the incident involved “a verbal dispute only” and “there was no evidence of physical violence.”
“Left-wing psychopath @amyactonoh should not run for governor of Ohio. She should get help,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X.
Although Ohio is a red state, Ramaswamy could face headwinds caused by President Donald Trump’s unpopularity and decision to attack Iran. The Cook Political Report in late March changed its assessment of the race to lean more toward Republicans than to indicate a likely Republican victory.
Acton does not have a major opponent. Ramaswamy is participating in a three-way primary contest for the Republican nomination.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff at X.
