On this date in 1944, the East Ohio Gas Co. explosion and fire tragically killed 130 people and left hundreds homeless.

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Today’s newsletter is 995 words — a 4-minute read.

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.

The Guardians' remarkable postseason run ended Monday night with a Game 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series.

Why it matters: The Guardians gave Cleveland fans another memorable October and plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future.

State of play: Cleveland captured its third consecutive AL Central title and advanced to the ALCS for the second time in three seasons.

• Along the way, the Guardians overcame a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series, winning three consecutive games to keep their championship hopes alive.

What's next: Cleveland will enter the 2027 season with a foundation of young talent under manager Stephen Vogt, who has established himself as one of baseball's best skippers.

• Former first-round picks Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana emerged as key pieces, while a young pitching rotation led by Gavin Williams and Parker Messick showed promise.

Yes, but: Questions remain about whether the Guardians can generate enough consistent offense outside of José Ramírez to complement a talented, young pitching staff.

• Bazzana and DeLauter will need to take the next step as the front office has proven it's unlikely to spend on adding a proven bat.

The bottom line: The franchise is built to keep contending, but the Guardians have now gone 78 years without a World Series championship.

• That's the longest active drought in Major League Baseball.

🚨 Signal Cleveland has created a new tool for residents to better understand Cleveland police discipline.

• A searchable database lets users look up specific officers and explore disciplinary histories. (Signal Cleveland)

💸 Elon Musk has donated more than $7 million to independent groups supporting the reelection of incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio). (Ohio Capital Journal)

💰 State Sen. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville) has introduced a bill that would revoke Cuyahoga County's ability to approve a sales tax increase without voter support. (Ideastream)

🧁 Magnolia Bakery opens its first Ohio location this morning at Legacy Village in Lyndhurst. (Cleveland.com)

👋 Sam here. After I wrote last week about the joys of book clubs, University Hospitals reached out to share its own literary tradition.

CEO Cliff Megerian has hosted an employee book club since June 2022, with roughly 50 participants joining in person or virtually.

How it works: Employees have access to free books through OverDrive/Libby, and meetings feature potluck dinners and, increasingly, conversations with local authors.

Zoom in: Recent selections have included Paula McClain's "Like Family," Susan Orlean's "The Orchid Thief" and "The Library Book" and Michael Ruhlman's "Grocery."

• Thirteen of the last 15 selections have included participation from the authors.

What's next: On Oct. 30, author Ruth Morhard will join the book club to discuss "Mrs. Morhard and the Boys," about the Cleveland mother who founded America's first boys' baseball league.

📬 Are you a part of a Cleveland book club? Reply with your story and we may feature it in a future newsletter.

You may have to get used to hearing the words "first place" and Browns in the same sentence.

Cleveland's most recent win wasn't pretty, but it did inspire reader Bill Nally's caption about Deshaun Watson's near-fumble that almost spoiled the game:

• "Watson for three, from downtown!"

What's next: The Browns head to Tennessee to face the Titans at 1pm on Sunday.

💥 Sam is rereading Eric Sandy's 2014 Cleveland Scene cover story on the 1944 East Ohio gas explosion.

🧟 Troy is watching "Colony," the latest film from director Yeon Sang-ho of "Train to Busan" fame.

This newsletter was edited by Tyler Buchanan.