Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy battle for Ohio governor
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photos: Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy, courtesy of the campaigns.
Ohio's race for governor has become a slugfest — a fiercely contested, wildly expensive showdown between Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, the state's former health director.
Why it matters: The election will determine whether Ohio continues its run of Republican leadership or elects a Democrat for the first time since Ted Strickland in 2006.
The big picture: Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate from Cincinnati, is campaigning on deregulation and conservative education reforms.
- He has promised to be "the most conservative Governor in Ohio's history," and comes off "at times as a pugilistic troll," per Time.
The other side: Acton, who became a household name as the initial face of Ohio's pandemic response, is emphasizing affordability, public education and health care.
Between the lines: The race has largely played out on the airwaves, with Acton refusing to debate over criticisms of how Ramaswamy's campaign has depicted her.
- The two, plus Libertarian candidate Don Kissick, appeared separately in interviews with Ideastream Public Media.
Friction point: In nonstop TV ads, Republicans have targeted Acton's pandemic-era decisions, including business and school closures, while questioning her personal judgment and professional record.
- Democrats have portrayed Ramaswamy as a wealthy political interloper whose agenda caters to billionaires and corporations over working Ohioans.
By the numbers: A Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll released Friday showed Acton leading 50% to 44% — a six-point margin within the poll's margin of error.
- Other surveys in recent months have shown a closer contest, including two with Ramaswamy narrowly ahead.
Follow the money: The Ramaswamy campaign has unleashed a torrent of political advertising. He and allied outside groups had spent or reserved over $97 million in TV and radio spots as of last week, Cleveland.com reported.
- That's more than triple Democratic spending.
The bottom line: An Acton victory would make her Ohio's first woman governor and end two decades of Republican control of the office, though she would likely still contend with a GOP-controlled Statehouse.
- A Ramaswamy victory would put a prominent Trump ally in charge, potentially accelerating conservative changes to education and government spending.